Category Archives: Medical Related

We Have a Lot of Debt From Colon Cancer Treatment. – Valerie: I recently used a non profit debt consolidation co. to reduce my credit card debt. Later that month I won a law settlement of $20,000. I thought this would be a good safety net to stay away from credit cards. A month later my husband was diagnosed with 3rd stage colon cancer. He had surgery. [...]
Simplee – Helping to Manage Your Health Insurance: My husband and I are pretty healthy and our doctor visits had been limited to yearly check-ups and an out of the blue visit when a cold wasn’t going away. This year has been a bit different for us in terms of using our health insurance. Besides getting my check-up I also had to go [...]
Small Medical Debts Screw Up Credit Score and Damage Credit Report: The Wall Street Journal is reporting a story about how small unknown medical debts can lead to big problems and a lot of expenses for especially those trying to get a mortgage or refinance. Otherwise well-qualified borrowers with good loan-to-value ratios and steady employment are increasingly finding it difficult to refinance because of medical billing [...]
Packing On The Pounds, Is Your Debt To Blame?: I started this article with the intention of comparing debt to food. Terms that myself and others would find much more appealing than fiscal comparisons. I started with one notion: money is boring. Unless you’re spending it of course. I laid down the ground rules and compared the amount of money we budget to the [...]
FTC Cracks Down on Bogus Medical Discount Plans.: Operators charged with scamming people who did not have health insurance – the uninsured, the unemployed, and the uninsurable – have been targeted by a federal-state coalition of law enforcement agencies for fraudulently marketing “medical discount plans” as health insurance. The Federal Trade Commission and law enforcers in 24 states have filed a total of [...]
A Great Resource to Find Affordable Health Insurance Information: The government has just launched HealthCare.gov and it is a great site about the affordable options for health insurance in America. Here is how the site describes itself. Welcome to www.HealthCare.gov, a website we designed to help you, your family, your business, your parents and grandparents, and your neighbors and friends get the information you [...]
Fear of Debt Keeps Cancer Survivors From Getting Medical Care: A published work “Forgoing Medical Care Because of Cost” examines the issues facing cancer survivors in being able to afford continued access to medical care. The study found Cancer treatment may result in financial hardship, and an inability to afford medical copayments, prescription medications, and medical services perceived as nonessential (eg, dental and mental healthcare). [...]
Respecting Your Wishes if You Become Ill or Incapacitated: A Guide for Gay and Lesbian Couples: All gays and lesbians, whether coupled or not, should consider what will happen if they become seriously ill or suffer a medical emergency. Ask yourself several questions. Who do you want to have authority to act for you if you are incapacitated and cannot make your own health care decisions? Who do you want to [...]
Coping With Medical Bills: With medical bills skyrocketing, many people feel they simply can’t afford to be sick. But illness and accidents happen anyway, leaving many families financially unhealthy or even bankrupt. While there is no single, simple solution to the high cost of medical care, this brochure is designed to offer suggestions on coping with large medical bills. [...]
Financial Concerns for People With AIDS/HIV: A diagnosis of HIV or AIDS will change your life. You may spend much of your time thinking about life and death and your own mortality. You might be trying to hold onto a job, if your health will allow it. You may be wondering who to tell — and who to turn to for [...]
Money Problems Lead to Poor Sleep: The National Sleep Foundation conducted a survey recently among different ethnic groups to study a number of sleep related issues. Of particular interest to me were the survey results about money troubles and sleep problems. I remember from my debt problem days how I never could seem to sleep well. I was always worrying about [...]
As Medical Costs Rise, More People to Charge Medical Care: When doctors first began accepting credit cards for payment years ago, patients were shocked. The impression was that the doctor was just in it for the money. Then a few years latter some medical offices began to offer credit company backed financing for larger medical procedures, again patients were shocked. This trend was lead by [...]
Negotiate With Your Doctor For Cheaper Medical Care: I’ve noticed that doctors have been doing more negotiating on the cost of services. My daughter went to a local doctor that offered to knock 40% off the cost of the visit if she paid in advance for the office visit. The other day I noticed that the local urgent care place now offers up [...]
Medical Debt Sending Many Over Financial Brink: Since 1999, Keith and Deborah Krinsky of Magalia, Calif., have seen their health insurance deductible soar from $1,000 to $10,000. A combination of Keith’s chronic asthma and potential heart problems, Deborah’s connective tissue disorder and fallen arches, and their kids’ various scrapes and stumbles led them to amass a pile of credit card debt and [...]