Last year, when I had to leave my job as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) due to hemophilia-related issues, one of my biggest concerns was how I would maintain my medical and dental insurance coverage. For the previous 3 1/2 years, my health insurance had covered 100% of my hemophilia-related expenses. When I started prophylaxis last year and continued to experience breakthrough bleeding episodes, the cost for my factor VIII and supplies was more than $30,000 per month. If I didn’t have insurance, how would I pay for that?
About seven years ago, while I was employed in the corporate world, I had health insurance I thought was excellent—until the bills related to hemophilia started to come into the picture. The insurance company ended up fighting hemophilia-related bills for five years, ruining my credit and forcing me into bankruptcy. In my current situation, I feared I could end up in the same scenario.
The hospital where I worked as an LPN had a short-term disability program, which continued health insurance and paid a portion of an employee’s salary for up to 12 weeks. But when the 12 weeks were over, so was my career with the hospital. I knew I’d be eligible for COBRA insurance, but how was I going to pay for it?
Peter Cottontail to the Rescue
A dear friend of mine in the hemophilia community put me in touch with an organization called Patient Services Inc. (PSI). I wasn’t aware of this organization and when I contacted them, I discovered they had a program to assist people with chronic conditions, such as hemophilia, with payments for health insurance premiums. I applied for assistance with PSI and was approved for a program that would pay my monthly COBRA insurance premiums. I thought, “That is one less thing to worry about.”
[Steps for Living: Health Insurance]
This same friend has given me a lot of insight and made me aware of many resources for our community that I wasn’t aware of before. I often joke with her about “pulling rabbits out of her hat.” Lately, I’ve told her how much I appreciate her rabbit farm!
I’ve mentioned to you readers that I recently relocated from Virginia to New York state. I knew this move would be awesome for my personal life, as I’d finally be living with my partner, Jarrod.
Unfortunately, I discovered that my insurance plan didn’t have any in-network providers in the state of New York. This meant that after I moved, which happened at the beginning of January 2011, I’d have to pay an out-of-pocket deductible of $4,000 before my insurance company would begin paying 80%. The good news is that my factor VIII and supplies are still covered 100% as long as I continue to receive them through my current specialty pharmacy.
The bad news is that I’m still unable to work and am trying to find a way to pay for all these medical expenses. I know it will eventually work out, though, and things will fall into place. My dear friend is looking for more rabbits in her hat! Like I said in my last post, a hemophiliac’s life is full of detours, and that’s what this is: a detour. I won’t allow it to become a derailment!