How Would You Pay for Cancer Treatment?

We’ve been hearing a lot of stories about how Americans without insurance have had to become resourceful in paying for their healthcare, but with skyrocketing healthcare costs, even Americans with health insurance are having to get creative in paying their medical bills:

On an overcast July night, Wendy “Bliss” Snipes greeted friends at Hill Top Ski Area’s Chalet, each receiving a big bear hug.

“Oh, my goodness. Thanks for coming. How are you?” Snipes said, her voice one of elation, as she greeted each attendee. All were there to participate in a “Benefit for Bliss,” a fund raising effort thrown by friends to help Snipes as she struggled financially in her fourth battle with cancer.
“Just the turnout,” Snipes exclaimed holding back tears, “The amount of love.” Snipes was no longer in remission. Her blood cancer had returned, she had recently learned. And this time, it is an extremely rare form called Periperal T-Cell lymphoma.

Snipes and her husband have been struggling to make ends meet financially. Bliss is no longer able to work consistently, and the family’s income has plummeted.

“It’s cut our income into a single earner income rather than a double. We were both working full time before,” said Snipes’ husband Chris.

Chris Snipes said the motivation for the benefit was to raise some money to cover expenses that Wendy’s insurance would not, including the cost of an upcoming four-month-long hospital stay in Seattle.

“I knew that wasn’t going to be possible without some sort of help,” Snipes admits.

Dying To Live: A Behind The Scenes Look At Cancer’s Financial Impact

How have you been coming up with the money to pay your medical bills? Tell us about it in our discussion forum!

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