I think I have skin cancer but I don't have health insurance. Help :(
By doran28
@doran28 (109)
United States
December 11, 2006 2:36pm CST
If I sign up for health insurance to get this looked at, is that fraud? I haven't been diagnosed. Just to see a dermatologist is $200 before labs. If I begin using my benefits right away will the company be suspicious? I had a benign tumor on an ovary years ago that was removed. I'm afraid that's going to mean there's a rider on anything cancer related. I don't have health insurance through work because I'm self employed. Medicaid doesn't cover me in my state.
Worrying about this is driving me crazy. Serious answers please.
I've heard about insurance for self employed people. I'm worried about getting diagnosed then not being able to afford care or having insurance deny claims. I'm a single parent. Please help.
1 person likes this
22 responses
@ChewySpree (1832)
• United States
12 Dec 06
Before you sign up for insurance, do some calling around to your local dermatologists. Many dertmatologists will give free cancer screenings. I have had them before and they were completely free. That would at least put your mind at ease. Then if you need to, you can sign up for insurance right after your screening.
1 person likes this
@JACKIEBOBBIE (434)
• United States
12 Dec 06
i'm soory i wish i could help you but all you need is angioinhibitor to flow through your blood and you would be cured but i am not sure if your skin cancer is truely bad!best of luck my friend and let love help through this journy
@doran28 (109)
• United States
12 Dec 06
mavisbike, I hope you get showed the same empathy you just showed here, only I hope you're lying bleeding in a gutter when it happens. You can't get away with being a snot nosed brat your whole life. Are you a big man for posting rude comments online? Don't kid yourself. Grow up.
@sixthelement (12)
• Canada
12 Dec 06
If you know someone in the health industry or a nurse, show them your skin. They can give you an idea as to whether or not it could be cancer. A skin cancer spot should be bigger than the end of a pencil rubber, have different colorations and the edges are usually asymmetric (non-uniform).
@mamavazquez (103)
•
14 Dec 06
That is very true most of the time. However, mine didnt look like any of the pictures. Both my dr and surgeon both said it was probably nothing. I insisted however only because it was the only brown mole I had and all my others were pink
@crystalhailie (147)
• United States
12 Dec 06
i would get it checked go to emergency room and all and i would go because it would be dangerous and all.
@doran28 (109)
• United States
12 Dec 06
Emergency room visits would be turned down because I'm not obviously in a health "emergency". No organs failing or fever or bleeding. I wouldn't get past a triage nurse. Besides, non emergency emergency room visits are one of the reasons health insurance is so expensive. Who pays the cost of care for people who go without insurance when they can't pay their bills? The hospital absorbs it by 1)raising fees 2) giving less breaks to insurance companies, who have to make it up by raising premiums and 3) begging for money from the county for all the free care it gives to poor people. That means higher taxes for everyone and/or less money for other services. It's a vicious cycle, especially when uninsured people put off care and then a small matter becomes a big and expensive emergency.
If I could walk into an emergency room and be seen and be written off for being indigent I would in a heartbeat, but ONLY because this could be so serious. Just FYI, non emergency room visits just hurt everyone in the long run.
@Lauraleigh99 (4718)
• United States
11 Dec 06
If you put a claim in to your insurance rihgt away they will get suspicious and look at your records. My friend is in insurance and she says they do this all the time. Which really sucks for people. There is no state medical assistance that you can apply for
@vipul20044 (5794)
• India
12 Dec 06
That is so true
Companies are pretty careful in insurance and claims
if they catch it as a fraud that might be really offensive
I know people here in my country go for medical claims to get money in reimbursement
But many times it wont work
So its better if you dont take the risk
@sexysilver (928)
• United States
12 Dec 06
That's horrible, I hope you can get treatment soon, my husband's job has a 90 day wait period before we can use it. Does yours have a certain time frame that they told you about like that, or are you complete;y guessing?
Either way, I hope you get treatment & get well soon.
@sharon613 (2321)
• United States
12 Dec 06
Are you eligible for Medicaid? If you are, then I suggest you apply as soon as possible.
@mamavazquez (103)
•
14 Dec 06
depending on if it is Melanoma Skin Cancer and what stage you may get disability. Stage III Melanoma or any recurrent Melanoma automatically qualifies with Social Securtiy for disability benefits
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
12 Dec 06
I do feel for you. You could apply for assistance its called charity care. I was working and didnot have benefits had something I had to take care of it because it was causing me alot of pain. So I applied. You still have to pay for your doctors visits but it is so much cheaper. And if you need tests they pay for almost all of it. Give it a try.
@mamavazquez (103)
•
14 Dec 06
Can you tell me why you think you have skin cancer? What does your lesion/mole look like. I have Melanoma maybe I can help you
@mamavazquez (103)
•
13 Dec 06
ok first off you need to realize their is a kind of skin cancer called MELANOMA...this can be deadly as it can spread through your lymphsystem and cant be cured only in remission. Please go to www.MPIP.org or www.MelanomaSupport.org for more info.
Second, contact the American Academy of Dermatology. There are tons of places that provide free screenings....
Take it from someone who knows...this isnt a disease to be messed with.
@coryronald (57)
• United States
8 Feb 08
I'm a long-time survivor of melanoma. All I can say is, Don't Wait! Do what you've got to do to to get treated. I think there's a limit on the number of years that a rider can be placed on your insurance. Try to get your insurance. It's normal to go for a checkup upon signing up for insurance. Why else would you get medical insurance? For all you know, the lesion you have may be benign. If you can't get insurance, go to a public clinic. In a worst case scenario, go to an emergency room. They have to treat you. Even if you get stuck with hospital bills that take years to pay, you will live long enough to pay them. And, you can possibly get a government grant to pay those bills. Get your insurance. Make your appointment. Don't wait. The sooner you take action, the better. I wish you good health and a long life!
@LovingIt (5396)
• United States
12 Dec 06
I don't know that it would be considered fraud, but if pre-existing conditions are not covered, it might not be covered. Most insurance companies will not cover conditions that existed before you took out the insurance even if you didn't know about them.
I would go ahead and take out the insurance anyway, just to be on the safe side, then go ahead. You need to have insurance anyway. In anycase, whatever it takes, if you suspect you have melanoma, you've got to find a way to get to a doctor, asap. This isn't anything to mess around with.
I know what you mean about insurance. I'm in a situation right now where I'm about to lose my insurance and I'm having problems finding an insurance company that will even insure me!
@riccardinofuffolo (166)
• Italy
12 Dec 06
Mhh... I live in Italy and I don't like the American Health System for this.
A person that have a health problem can resolve it only with his Health Insurance... or not?
@nitsy_s (1028)
• India
12 Dec 06
If you are no able to get any medical assistance, then you must consider moving to a place where the medical expenditure is less compared to the US.
Medical expense in nearly 90% cheaper in some of the Asian countries..
Hope you get well soon. take care
@blanksolid (1631)
• Spain
12 Dec 06
You should visit a medic before posting this here, have a great day on mylot!
@nithintheone (88)
• India
12 Dec 06
as im a insurance agent see a agent near ur locality they will give u the rite advice
