Treating Mesothelioma Without Health Insurance

The medical expenses can be overwhelming

Mesothelioma is a devastating and debilitating disease that is expensive to diagnose and treat, and it frequently robs families of their income. Even if you are covered by health insurance, the disease can be a tremendous financial burden. But treating mesothelioma without health insurance is a potential catastrophe.

Health insurance payments and exclusions

If you are covered by private or employer-sponsored health insurance at the time you come down with mesothelioma, you still face many challenges in paying for your treatment. Almost all health insurance coverage has co-payments and deductibles that come out of your pocket. An even bigger problem is the lifetime limit in most insurance policies. Once you have used up the maximum amount available by the policy’s terms, you are on your own and will have to pay for treating your mesothelioma as if you were without health insurance.

Medical treatment for mesothelioma patients without insurance

Find out if you qualify for assistance from Medicare, the Department of Defense, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) programs. The latter are open only to those who were exposed to asbestos during their military service.

You may also wish to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial of drugs or procedures for treating mesothelioma. Without insurance, you may have to pay for some of the expenses involved in these programs, such as traveling to the medical center which is running the trial. When clinical trials are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, they may pick up all or part of the expenses for your treatment. This is also the case when a study is funded by a large grant. Be sure to discuss the financial considerations when you are investigating clinical trials.

Replacing lost income

The expense of treating mesothelioma without insurance can seem insurmountable when you can no longer work. However, there are some sources that may be available to replace your lost income. You can file a claim if you are covered through disability insurance that you bought privately or obtained through your employer. Depending on the state where you reside and worked, you may also be eligible to claim state disability insurance.

You may also be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for yourself and your family. Qualifying for SSDI can be an arduous process, so you should seek the assistance of an attorney who is experienced with these types of claims.

If your asbestos exposure occurred on the job, you also can file a workers compensation claim, but you should consult with a mesothelioma attorney first so you do not compromise your ability to seek compensation from other sources.

The best source of compensation to treat your mesothelioma and provide for your family—even without insurance—may be through a lawsuit against the asbestos industry. The law firm you choose to handle your case should do so on a contingency fee basis, so you do not have any out-of-pocket expenses.