Enormous debt from emergency

[l8eebugg]

Not sure if this is correct, but I have heard that if you pay one dime on the bill you are assuming responsibility. I wouldn't pay anything as it doesn't sound like they can afford to, explore all options first. Think all the people who have responded have great advice. Praying for your friend and a speedy recovery!

[Anna43]

Right now the wait for disability is long. When the economy tanked people who were working disabled and lost their jobs have applied for disability by the 1,000's. They should still apply but shouldn't count on anything from that quarter for at least a year.

I'd go online and research because there are a lot of organizations that provide assistance. By all means apply for Medicaid. It was 6 months look back in Iowa too when I applied for my d-i-l a few years ago. I think the hospital social worker would be the starting place.

[grneyegrl]

tell u r friend to stop worring about the paperwork..its not that bad..my mother had a kidney transplant 16 years ago... she should/will have to apply for ssi asap..

the mother will also have to undergo a number of test to make sure/help with getting and keeping the transplanted organ..

as far as the dept goes..a dollar down and a dollar next month..in other words all bills will have to be paid as she gets money and it will be a little at a time..

thats what we did...all bills go paid a little and i do mean a little at a time...
she had health insurance though and then went on medicaid,then medicare..

[miss_cas]

1. Wife needs to file for social security disability now.
2. Husband may quit job now just to make sure his wife will not be denied medical care. See what the income limit is and don't exceed this amount. If SSDI is granted, husband needs to keep his income below medicaid eligibility level.
3. Wife needs to file for medicaid now.
4. Give up housing if you can't make it on the allowable income for medicaid eligibility.
5. Whichever of the 5 'student' kids (I'm guessing college age) who has room needs to take in parents. Or kids can drop down to part-time student level, get full-time jobs and try to chip in together to get a house to rent with room to shelter parents.
6. If the 5 'student' kids are partially high schoolers, the oldest kid SHOULD give up school for a while to work full-time. They may need to change housing so the oldest can pay for a lot of the bills. Older high schoolers need to work too.
7. Trick to medicaid applications, you only put down your own income if you are staying with someone else if you intent to pay rent to the owner of home/apartment when you are employed/getting SSDI. Indicate how much you would chip in towards the bills.
8. Some people have been known to divorce in order to get medicaid to save the life of a sick loved on.
9. Bankruptcy can take place after 7 years since the last filing. You have to be making less than $30k for a couple or single to qualify for an easy/quick bankruptcy. Keep this in mind before making employment changes. It takes a while to resolve a serious health problem anyway. Make sure all med treatment is done before filing.
10. Hospitals have been known to deny lifesaving treatment to anyone who doesn't have health insurance and can't go in through the ER. Medicaid will make sure the mom doesn't get railroaded by the hospital.
11. File for food stamps, utility assistance and anything else that can make the situation easier.

It's sooo pathetically sad the state of this country's health system when people are raffling off their houses, doing carwashes and community garage sales to save the life of a sick friend or family member. This is just sick the state of this country's psychopathic health insurance companies.

[greekislandgirl]

Thanks to everyone for the posts. I spoke to my friend at length last night. A few updates:

- the hospital decided not to provide her with potentially life-saving equipment (a difibrillator that is worn like a vest, like having an implanted defibrillator but it's temporary) because she doesn't have insurance. (They actually said "if you had insurance, we would definitely give it to you.")

- the infection in her heart (myocarditis) - they seem to think it is the same state as previously but aren't sure. She now also has viral pneumonia but they haven't determined what kind, so are treating her with broad "antibiotics" (according to friend, maybe she means antivirals, I don't know).

- she was readmitted to the hospital on Wednesday because of the pneumonia and the myocarditis. They said they will give her two months and if she doesn't recover, they will put her on a heart transplant list.

- they applied for Medicaid and SSI disability. They also rented a place to live closer to the hospital. Dad (patient's husband) had a panic attack in the hospital and since he was on hospital grounds (I guess?) they treated him (which I guess just means they did some tests to make sure that's what it was) - not sure if this means extra bills for them. Son and daughter (my friend) have been staying overnights at the hospital.

- My friend leaves Hawaii today to go to California (where she is a student/works) but she plans to return in a few weeks. The younger son is living with them in Hawaii and I think has decided to stay and help them out for the forseeable future. The older son lives with a moderate brain injury and suffers from chronic health problems and probably won't be able to travel to Hawaii or to help out financially. The other daughter (estranged) isn't involved.

- Dad doesn't work anyway as far as I know so I don't think they'll have any problem meeting maximum income requirements.

I am worried. I would have liked to hear that after being in the hospital and supposedly receiving good care that she would improve, not contract pneumonia and remain in limbo without any specific diagnosis or any indication if the myocarditis is improving, worsening, etc. I asked my friend if she felt that her mom was getting good care, and she said that with the exception of being denied the external defibrillator, she thought she was getting good care and the doctors weren't ignoring her.