Having Hep C but No Insurance
I was hospitalized with hep C and was unable to work. It was an emergency room diagnosis, and I didn’t even know what hep C was.
I was too weak to work and ended up with no insurance for hep C treatment. It took me a long time to figure things out.
My story seemed to be doom and gloom from the start.
No insurance for hep C treatment
When I went back into the hospital, my Cobra payment came due. I missed the payment and got dropped. Now I had no insurance.
I went home after a few days, but not before racking up a lot of costly medical treatments. The bills started piling up, and I was in a real financial mess.
Like most people with advanced liver disease, I was tired all of the time, and the hep C kept me exhausted too. There was not a lot of energy to think about answering the mail. I let it pile up on my desk.
Then I started putting it all in a plastic bag. At first, it seemed like those envelopes weren’t important.
After I got a phone call from the hospital asking for a payment plan, I opened everything. My gosh, what a depressing day.
I had bills from different doctors for x-rays and for a lot of lab work. Then there was the big bill from the hospital itself.
Here I was living with hep C, and there was a mountain of unpaid medical bills waiting on me. How would I ever get them all paid? How would I afford treatment?
I couldn’t work full-time for almost a year. Thankfully, my doctor had some ideas.
There are payment options available
My doctor gave me a list of phone numbers. They were to state insurance sites and also to pharmaceutical companies.
I called around with my sad story and kept telling it to whoever would listen. I made a list of every person that I talked to. It’s important not to give up on yourself when you have hep C.
While I was waiting, I started making small payments to everyone that I could pay. I also applied for some hospital scholarship money.
They cut a large amount off of my bill. This time was also spent getting healthier.
I reduced sodium and started to cook and eat at home. It helped me feel better and saved money too.
Treatment and financial obligations
Almost a year after my diagnosis, I got the word, and I was approved to take hepatitis C treatment. There was a patient program available that would help me financially. I was working again.
Soon, I started my treatment. I’ll never forget the day that they told me that the hep C virus was not detectable in my blood.
Thanks to the patience and hard work, I was able to get affordable treatment for hep C.
Today, your doctor may do all of the work for you, and you can also call places like Help4Hep. No matter what, if you have no insurance for hep C treatment, there is still hope.
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