Charting Your Course : Seminar II - Navigation Aids : Financial Information

Determining how best to pay for care is a significant source of stress for many cancer patients and their families. Insurance plans can be perplexing in their benefits and limitations. If you don't have insurance, you may feel lost and bewildered. Getting accurate information can relieve much of the anxiety. Most hospitals and clinics have a social worker available who can help you get in touch with possible resources.

Insurance

A glossary of managed care terms

Some questions to consider: Some things to do: Insurance types:

Private-Managed Care Plan/HMO/Federal, etc. Call the number listed on your plan ID card or brochure.
Medicare Supplements or primary/secondary insurance. The contact number will be in your local phone book.
Medicare Ditto.
Medicaid Contact your local district office (Health and Human Services, Dept. of Social Welfare) to speak with a caseworker.
None Apply for Medicaid benefits. Ask whether your hospital has any assistance programs. Some states have catastrophic illness programs. Your hospital social worker can help you.

Understanding how health services are paid for is not simple. Here are some guidelines to what private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid usually cover. These services and how they are paid for vary depending on where you live and recent changes in coverage. Ask your doctor, nurse, social worker, or case manager to guide you.

Service Medicare Medicaid Private
Hospital care usually secondary often part of bill
Emergency ambulance usually secondary not usually much
Sub-acute care often covers most part part
Nursing home very little commonly yes common
Medications usually no commonly yes commonly yes
Home health nurses usually usually often part
Home health aides usually not commonly yes commonly yes

Managed Care

Some questions to consider: Some things to do:

Income Assistance

Social Security and Social Security Disability/SSI Some questions to consider: Some things to do:

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This content is derived from the "Charting Your Course Seminars: A Whole Person Approach To Living With Cancer", provided by Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
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