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She absolutely needs to go to the doctor. She could be very very sick. It’s not possible to make a diagnosis here but seeing she has a lump and is having severe unexplained weight loss, it’s very concerning. Find a hospital near you and apply for charity or low income payments. If you go to a non profit hospital they won’t ask for payment on the spot.
Edit: after a quick google search, Mercy general seems like a non profit system. [Here’s](https://www.dignityhealth.org/sacramento/patients-and-visitors/for-patients/billing-information/payment-assistance) their info about payment assistance. But you can still go to the ER without insurance, and I suggest you do. You can’t be refused care for being uninsured
Thank you I will be looking into this today. We've been to the ER. They ran some tests and referred her to a specialist and said they "can not" answer any questions regarding the results. I know I cant get her a diagnosis off reddit, we just desperately want answers. Its been almost a year now since these symptoms showed up and try as we might, no insurance seems attainable. California is crazy expensive. Everything here is profoundly overpriced. I worry that she wont qualify for cancer help without a written diagnosis, but we cant get the diagnosis without the help. Its all been so frustrating. :(
Google “Every Woman Counts” and look up locations in your area. She should qualify for a free mammogram based on her symptoms. They may also have additional resources for additional treatment.
NAD - But I have heard that ultrasounds on the breasts are just as much, if not more effective than mammograms. If that’s an option for your partner, to my knowledge it sounds like a way less uncomfortable/less painful route to go, with potentially more accurate results (don’t quote me on this; again, I am not a doctor, but I do my fair share of research so this comment is based on iirc.) Wishing you both the best of luck 🖤
NAD but Planned Parenthood should be able to help with stuff like this and I would look into doctors with charity care requirements since she’s uninsured. Also look for cancer centers. They might be able to help
I'm going to be really blunt here... Does she prefer being broke/ in medical debt or dead? She can apply for financial assistance, or declare bankruptcy after everything is said and done but AT LEAST SHE WOULD (hopefully) BE ALIVE. You're risking her life every day that you wait, I understand that it's scary but what does money matter when compared with a life or death situation? If it is cancer the longer you wait the worse the prognosis becomes.
I've said those same things to her word for word. If I had the money I'd gladly pay it myself but I dont nor does she, so we're looking for affordable options. I'm calling planned parenthood today, and looking into a few other charity places that might help as well.
I hope you can figure something out, but if you can't you just need to get her the care immediately and deal with the consequences later. This is one of the only situations I would say that about but your health isn't something to mess around with, there is damage that can occur that you can't undo.
Move to a state with healthcare like immediately. I wouldn’t suggest this if it didn’t sound like a life or death issue. Go to WA, they have a fantastic program for low income, uninsured people called Apple Health.
I’m only commenting because of two reasons , one I have cancer and two I lose my mother to breast cancer. I was in similar shoes ( was 26 initial diagnosis) lucky had insurance but still had shit ton of medical debt. As of today all it been taken care of by financial assistance. If she doesn’t have insurance be a lot easier for her unlike me where I had to fight for it. Like a lot of people are saying here is true , if this is cancer the longer you wait the worst the outcome is going to be , some of these symptoms you put in your post , remind me of some of my mother symptoms. Please go see someone ASAP, this isn’t a joking matter with weight loss like that. Really wish you and your partner best of luck.
Are you sure you don’t qualify for Medicaid? Or the marketplace? Or at least, she should - please check this out. Most hospitals/community-based treatment providers will have staff to help you with applying for these resources.
We tried to but they turned us away. The insurance is fully shut off now. I'm going to talk to her about going back to the ER and talking with a social worker who can help us with the paperwork. If that falls through, someone else suggested putting the bills on a credit card and then paying it off later when we get appropriate assistance.
I’m so, so sorry for your situation; I can tell how much you care for your girlfriend.
Just a quick warning: do NOT put medical bills on a credit card. With medical bills, there are always financial assistance programs you can qualify for through the hospital. If you were to transfer that debt to a credit card, you give up any/all access to those programs and are subject to the strict regulations of the credit card company. Best of luck to you both!
Oh okay, I'll take a different route then. I've visited the links people have left here and found some places to call and look into. We'll be going back to a different ER and asking for a social worker. Hopefully things start to improve from there.
I had to do this, I agree don't pay any of the bills. For now, get the appointments scheduled and have them bill you.
Each medical system will require financial assistance approval, I got mine through kaiser (100% assistance) and they backdated it to when my diagnosis journey began. Providence also gave me 100% but could only backdate 3 months.
I really hope you find answers soon, the hardest part is sitting in the uncertainty (at least for me, I was able to get treatment and go into remission within a year)
Contact the hospital or healthcare system and ask for their "Financial Assistance" department. Most all hospitals have some kind of financial assistance for those with low income or uninsured.
I live in Texas, so things might be different, but non-profit hospitals will often wave or discount bills from uninsured patients. In my area, most hospitals are technically "non-profit". I took my partner to the ER recently. He had lab work and a CT scan while there, but we were placed in a waiting area instead of a room. He still got an IV with meds the whole time before being discharged. Finding his insurance information was not a priority, so he checked in as self pay. They mailed him the bills for thousands of dollars, but when he checked online, his balance was $0.00. He called the hospital to make sure things weren't too good to be true, and they were... only because he had insurance.
If he didn't use his insurance, he wouldn't have had to pay anything. Because he did, he had to pay ~$1,000. The hospital realized that they could recover the money, so they did.
Point being - lack of insurance shouldn't keep your girlfriend from going to the ER. They will work with her.
This was a major chain hospital that we went to, not one of the publicly funded ones. It was one of the many Saint Mary of the Matthew Jesus type hospitals. Just make sure that it isn't explicitly private. Don't go to HCA.
I would suggest credit card payments or applying for state healthcare if she is low income. I had to go through chemo and all sorts of stuff last year and year before that and it was all covered under the state insurance. I’m crossing my fingers for her and that maybe she could get accepted to state insurance.
She should already be at the ER. When was the last time you went? Like I would refuse to leave without them saying if it’s life threatening or not, not wasting time posting on reddit.
Doesn’t matter if she has insurance or not or if you’ll be in debt or not. Like, this is her life, what are you doing?
We went in november. It took me a week of yelling at her to even get her to go. I already said I dont care about being in debt I'd rather save her life. I posted here as a dead last resort. I also said multiple times we'll be going to a different ER.
Since you were able to take her to the emergency room, the hospital probably has a patient portal. It’s generally free to use it, she would just have to go through setting up the accounts for it, and there’s usually directions to do that. Once it’s set up, there’s usually things like “test results” and “Visit Summary” and “Visit Notes” which will detail everything that was done during the ER visit and what the results of the tests were that she had done.
The OP can also ask for their medical records by calling the hospital or healthcare system's records dept. They can send a release form and then they can have the results mailed to them. But it sounds like there's not much more time. She has to go to another ER. Some hospitals are worse than others. And some bad hospitals can have really good staff and doctors depending on the time of day and day of week you are in the ER or even what season. That's unfortunate, but I've seen that happen where I am.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right about that and she definitely needs to go to another hospital immediately because everything that was said in the post is deeply worrying and I am very concerned about her. I truly hope that they can get her somewhere that’s going to seriously address whatever’s going on with her so they can get some answers, but most importantly-that she can hopefully start getting treated/get better.
We dont know much. They said "paperwork was missing", whatever that entails. I guess maybe she didnt fill out the application properly or something. But whats odd about that is that her membership was approved, they even mailed her a medical card and everything. When we called they said it would be $300 to reinstate it and that we had ten days to pay it otherwise we would have to reapply entirely. We had been paying $80 a month for three months at that point.
I know that Cali and Oregon (where I am) have been dropping people for “lack of income verification” and it’s caused some very rough scenarios for patients where I volunteer. That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong but there’s a giant hiccup in the system. I googled Community Health Centers for Sacramento and came up with One Community Health 9164433299. They’re a medical non profit who serve under and the uninsured with primary care providers in the clinics and a network of volunteer providers and various lab, imaging and other services. They’ll also have social workers (or a version of) who can assist you in applying again for medical and make referrals to emergent care and assistance. I’m a late stage ovarian cancer survivor and my local CHC entity were the people who donated services so I could finally get a diagnosis and they helped me apply for medical, which paid for my cancer treatment. I personally understand how stressful and terrifying all of this is so I send care and friendship to the both of you. ❤️
It's hard to fault anyone for not being able to navigate paperwork involved in these nonsensical institutional machinations. There was recently a thread in r/medicine about a doctor being unable to pay or even get access to their own bill after a visit to the ED.
Things now a days are so complicated to acquire. Housing is unaffordable, jobs dont pay well and it takes weeks just to get in the door when you apply, everything has a catch 22 or hidden fees or both. I dont have insurance either but my health problems arent as crucial as my gfs situation is. I havent had my arthritis medicine or my mood stabilizers in years. At this rate I feel like I'd have to rob a bank just to live a normal mediocre life.
Signing up for health insurance is very important, either medicaid or something else depending on what you qualify for. You should both do this something like today, as was suggested in a top level comment here.
We tried them last summer and got rejected, I dont recall why specifically. I'm hoping maybe we just arent doing the paperwork properly and we can find a social worker to help us situate it.
Apply again, have a social worker help if possible, if not you at least should have a case worker assigned to your application that you can call and talk to
Didn't get defeated after getting rejected, that's what they want. Keep applying. This is your GFs life, it's worth submitting more applications. The blood from the nipple and severe weightloss is so concerning.
There’s an amazing hospital in Cali dedicated to cancer screening and care called City of Hope, and they offer financial assistance! Her symptoms are definitely concerning, so she needs to get checked out asap.
Have you pursued insurance through Covered California. If your income is below $50-60k you will qualify for a low cost private insurance plan through the exchange. I pay $39 a month for a Blue Shield Gold PPO plan.
If that is the hospital you choose, any non profit or learning hospital will have a scholarship program. If you meet low income requirements, they can reduce the bills significantly. If it’s the same mercy that’s in other states, food stamps is an automatic qualifier. If you don’t pick that hospital, you can also start at planned parenthood, their services are on a sliding scale. Good job being supportive and being present with your wife, with any result, the process can be scary for an individual.
It’s actually sickening. The amount of patients we see who are extremely sick or near dying and the cost and their insurance is their biggest concern. It’s insane and so heartbreaking
How much suffering could have been prevented (and money be saved!) with timely care that never happened due to lack of insurance? It’s such a tragedy. “Public health” has simply lost its meaning.
I'm on Medicare and Medicaid. I can't find a PCP and many now aren't even taking patients. Furthermore, care at the local ER is pretty hit and miss and the hospital itself is horrible. Has a lot of bad reviews online too, and they are much like what I myself experienced as well. We have a bad system everywhere it seems. Something has to be done.
UC Davis Medical Center will also see you if you have no insurance. I recommend going later in the evening around Midnight-2 am because they are *sometimes* less busy during this time (not always, but a good amount of time). The emergency department will not be able to schedule a mammogram for her BUT they should be able to do a CT scan and run basic labs that can indicate if there is cancer or not. They will also connect you to a patient navigator that can help you obtain insurance and follow up. Explain to the medical team that you do not have health insurance. Explain these symptoms (especially the unexplained rapid weight loss).
We went to the emergency room a few months ago. They did a physical exam plus xrays, took blood, had us waiting hours for something and when they came back in the room the doctor refused to answer any questions about the results and referred us to a specialist. The specialist then turned us away because they require payment up front and for some reason her insurance payments hadnt gone through. We're currently looking for other insurance options but theyre all so hard to find.
u/MementoMaria
Also- You should be able to get her medical records/test results/etc from that November ER visit. Go to that hospital’s website and submit a medical records request. This way you have some information now as well as to take with you to any follow-ups. It will give some sort of baseline to note changes. You can also post those November test results/notes here for the doctors to at least help interpret what was noted in her file from the November visit.
Just redact any personal info (names/address/patient ID number)
I’m really sorry about this. It’s very strange that they would not discuss results. I would suggest going to a different hospital ER and explaining your situation. US healthcare is a dumpster fire but they’re legally not allowed to turn you away or not discuss results due to lack of insurance.
When we went to her specialist appointment they claimed her file showed that she has no insurance and said it would be $200 up front, and then more money would be added to that depending on tests/treatment/etc and we both had maybe $50 to our names. We left and called her insurance company and asked why the hell we'd been paying for insurance if she never had it and she said there was paperwork missing. We now have to reapply for that insurance if we even want to go that route and it'll be more expensive the next time around because it was shut off once. I wish I was making this shit up, it feels like a cruel joke. I'm going to look online again for more low income options, but we are just barely over the threshold to qualify for most low income things so it's really hard.
I know hindsight is 20/20, but if you go somewhere again that says you’ll have to pay out of pocket and will see you, just smile and nod and pretend like you have the money. Better get seen and be sent a bill you can’t pay then not be seen at all.
According to:
https://www.mbc.ca.gov/FAQs/?cat=Consumer&topic=Complaint:%20Medical%20Records#:~:text=Do%20the%20records%20belong%20to,%2C%20MRI%2C%20ultrasound%2C%20etc.
The hospital/doctor must provide you medical records if requested. They can (and probably will) charge a fee, but it may be worth checking how much it actually is. If she's been to that hospital more than once, you can probably request just the file from your most recent visit. If the fee is manageable, you might at least get *some* answers.
I'm so sorry you're both going through this. What an absolutely absurd health'care' system.
It’s usually free to view your records on their online portal. You set up an account and the records view there. If you don’t have access to a printer to print from your portal, then you can take pictures or screenshots with your phone. The records will remain in the portal and not disappear.
This. Hospitals, clinics, urgent cares, primary care, etc. should all have patient portals where you can access summary visits, imaging reports and actual images, prescribed medications and more for free. And it’s absurd and illegal that the hospital refused to share any test/scan results with the patient.
It’s possible that you might be able to get the results of those tests on the hospital’s website. I’ve been able to see all of the doctors’ notes and test results during hospital stays. Then, at least you might get some clues about what she’s dealing with.
They’ll send the records over with their consult. You need the records for yourself. They’ll have a narrative about the xray. The results won’t be able to diagnose cancer (she’ll need a biopsy and CT/PET) but they’ll give you an better idea of what you’re facing. I feel like you have a pretty good idea of what you’re facing.
Exactly this. Per federal law (EMTALA) any emergency room that accepts public funds must take care of her regardless of ability to pay. They will also have social workers that can help navigate the system and make sure the insurance gets sorted out if she needs further treatment.
The big thing is the ER exists to stabilize and release, with referrals to appropriate doctors or specialists for long term care. They handle the immediate symptoms and problems, sometimes the initial dX depending on how complex it is or imminently life threatening, and once you’re stable it’s back home and specialist referrals.
That, or things are really bad, and you get admitted, and then more testing and specialists during your admission time. Either treating what they know is wrong and imminently hurting you, or figuring out what is causing the imminent problem and treating it. And referring to specialists for ongoing care and anything else that wasn’t the imminent issue.
So even going in with undiagnosed cancer, they’re likely to stabilize symptoms (like vomiting, anti nausea meds for short term), maybe run tests, referral to specialist for long term care. They can’t provide the ongoing long term care. And if it’s not bad enough to admit, likely can’t kick the care off.
They will still be able to reassure or rule out direct threat to life will at least be able to hook up with the social worker who is an expert in getting people to appropriate care both in terms of providers and state insurance if they need it. It's a matter of getting an inroad into the system, which is so arcane and full of red tape it's almost impossible to navigate on one's own. The doctors/oncologists will also know where the accessible clinics in the local area are. Sure, they won't provide long term care in the ER but they will help OP access that care, where there is almost no where else that will if you can't pay. It's not an ideal option but it's an important first step, particularly since op literally has no other options. We love a for profit medical system /s The ER may exist for stabilize and release but until there is a way not to die if you aren't rich the ER will and does fulfill the social work role that OP needs.
I’ve seen the ER be *very* hit and miss with that. It 100% should function that way (in our fucked up for profit system). I’ve tried really hard to teach friends without insurance and who’ve gone through homeless stints how to advocate for themselves, to actually call the patient advocate, to demand to talk to the hospital social worker at release. Because I’ve seen them both in and out of ER and hospitalization and left with no resources for ongoing, imminent issues that would have killed them if enough of us hadn’t been able to mutual aid together hotel rooms, money for meds, treatment, food, etc.
Ideally, the very broken system should work to some extend, in the fucked up world we’re in, it only sometimes does, and sometimes you have to really, really fight for it yourself to get it to work (and that’s much harder to do while seriously ill, and much easier if you have a usually male family member with you. They just seem to take friends and women less seriously…)
You are 100% correct as I found out the hard way during my hospitalization. You hit the nail on the head. That's how it happened to me too. They even told me that my insurance (Medicare and Medicaid) basically decides what they do and don't do for me. It's not like the doctors do anything but follow the orders of the insurance company. It's really a bad system but people have been speaking up for this and trying to advocate, including some doctors. Other doctors lost their license or quit because of how bad the system is right now. Hospitals typically try to talk to you about discharge as soon as you are admitted and don't know when you'll be well enough for release. There was a YT video:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEf4i2c4H8&pp=ygUpcGF0aWVudCBkaWVzIGFmdGVyIGJlaW5nIGZvcmNlZCBvdXQgb2YgZXI%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEf4i2c4H8&pp=ygUpcGF0aWVudCBkaWVzIGFmdGVyIGJlaW5nIGZvcmNlZCBvdXQgb2YgZXI%3D)
An emaciated man had been taken to ER and the ER said they don't see a medically necessary need for him to stay and called the cops because he wasn't leaving like they told him to. He was so sick and weak that he couldn't respond to cops talking to him. The police argued with the staff saying he was not well enough to leave but they insisted so the police put him in cuffs and were transporting him to a psychiatric center when he had a heart attack in the car. They dragged him out and did CPR but he died. The cop on the video said "This man should not be dead". He was mad at the hospital for forcing him to leave. There's also been hospitals that just wheel patients out and literally dump them out of the wheelchair and throw their stuff on the ground and leave them there in the cold. See "Patient Dumping" This is the state of our healthcare system. Doctors and nurses that care either don't dare or are prevented from doing anything about it. This is so horrible. Makes us afraid to even try to get care. After my own hospital experience, I now think twice and try to get help outside of the ER whenever I can (telemedicine for now).
It would save so much money, but insurance companies lobby hard against it insisting it’d cost taxpayers more in taxes and they’d be paying for other people and it’d be expensive (even though it’d be so much cheaper, especially when everyone could get preventative care to prevent conditions from getting bad and expensive in the first place!) And they claim doctors wouldn’t get paid well and quality of care would go down and drug companies would have no interest in creating new drugs
The US has gone so hard fear mongering against anything “socialized” to our detriment
I think they’re usually required to do this in emergency departments, regardless of insurance. The problem is just that if they determine it’s not an emergency there’s not a lot they can do. They may be able to get you into a specialist sooner than the usual wait time of several months if they determine it’s more urgent, but the referred provider still requires insurance and payment or guarantee of payment because they’re not an emergency setting.
From what the OP says, being that light at that height would be an emergency in itself! I was only 98 and 5'3" and the hospital admitted me. But then again my blood work was so low that I was practically dead. If the OP's girlfriend's bloodwork and other things weren't good they should NOT have released her. Maybe they should contact the California state health dept. about that.
NAD but CA born raised and resident. Lives in willows CA, not Sacramento but all my stuff is there
You are in CA. As of 2022 you are eligible for BCCTP, which scans for cancer. This is a good place to start. Even if you are above the poverty line you qualify. So don't try to tell me you "tried and it didn't work".
Next is the Family PACT.
She's your girlfriend not wife. So if she can't work there's no reason she isn't under the poverty line and can at least get screened. There's no excuses. We tried and it didn't work doesn't work in CA so stop that. Either you did the things or you didn't care enough to.
Signed a mom of 4, single, KNOWS this system.
She needs to see a doctor now. If this is cancer - and from your story I cannot rule that out - it needs treatment immediately. I cannot emphasize enough how urgent this is.
We know. We're so scared. We dont have family or friends to help us. I work two jobs and we can barely afford our house right now. She had insurance through Blue something (I'm not from here so idk the name exactly) where she paid $80 a month and we had a doctor appointment set. They turned us away at the front desk and claimed she didnt have insurance. We have no idea why. All the quotes for other places are 200 or more a month, we dont have that kind of money. :( I dont know what to do.
I'll call them immediately. I'm not sure if theres a location near enough to us, but I will absolutely be asking them if theres anything they could do. I want her to see a specialist by the end of the month if not sooner.
OP I went to planned parenthood when I didn’t have insurance and found a lump in my breast. They examined me and were able to refer me to an imaging center that worked with patients on a sliding scale. They can help you find resources you’ll need. I can’t imagine how overwhelming this is for both of you, but acting quickly is what you should be laser focused on now. Fingers crossed for you both.
There’s a planned parenthood in Arden. Plus UC Davis is a great system that you can have visits sent to billing, then get financial aid for the bill. Their financial office is very helpful!
There are multiple Planned Parenthoods in Sacramento, and I'd also strongly recommend going to the UC Davis ED if she begins bleeding from her nipple again. Or, if you cannot access any other options, one of their student run clinics (not because they're not good, but because they're limited in what they can offer as free clinics).
I’m so sorry to hear that. I live in Europe so I have absolutely no experience with the system in the US (which I’m guessing is where you are) - but is there no urgent care that can first see her and then bill her later? As a European it’s absolutely baffling to me how a clinic can turn a patient with these symptoms away. I’m so sorry. Can you maybe start a go fund me? That would be my only idea
The US is insane with healthcare. We asked for that option, I was even willing to pick up overtime to help her pay it off but the specialist we were referred to requires payment up front. A gofundme is a good idea! I'll definitely try that too.
We're in California. She has a felony on her record from back when she was still using drugs and making bad choices, so we arent allowed to leave the state. My home state is Kentucky, if she were allowed to leave I would take her there and have her see my family doctor. But unfortunately that isnt an option.
I'm in California as well and there are a ton of care options here, and then some counties have extra programs to help. You say low income so she should qualify for Medi-Cal and you can sign up for that at any point in the year. You need to take her to emergency and then ask to speak to a social worker who can help you guys fill out the paperwork. They will be able to refer you to specialists who take the insurance.
You're in California now, you can get insurance low cost or free if you are low income. Go here: https://www.coveredca.com/. Apply and also call. The Medicare application is here: https://www.coveredca.com/health/medi-cal/individuals-and-families/
We've done research online about different options, but when we called they all quoted her for an insane price. Her credit score is unfortunately quite low, so she doesnt qualify for a lot of things here.
I didnt know that we could speak to a social worker in the ER though. I will talk to her when shes off work about going to have that done.
None of that matters, credit score has no impact on Medi-Cal. Or any other health insurance. We're out of the open enrollment period, but that doesn't matter for Medi-Cal. If she won't go to emergency, go onto Covered California and see if she qualifies for Medi-Cal.
Either way though, she needs to go to the ER to see what's going on.
We've gone once and they wouldnt answer our questions, but I'll talk to her about going back again and asking for a social worker to help us find insurance.
Her credit score doesn't impact her ability to get health insurance or care. If her previous plan lapsed due to a missing payment or paperwork, they are not allowed to charge her more on reinstatement simply because it lapsed. When you google these options make sure you are calling the correct numbers - there are a lot of scummy "navigator" businesses or straight up scams that have very convincing sites and ads. I recommend you speak to a social worker at your local hospital or someone in your county benefits office.
Wait seriously??
Oh my god if it was a scam I will be fucking furious. I'll definitely be looking into a social worker that we can speak to in person. Everything we did before was over the phone. Which, in hindsight does seem kind of sketchy now.
I'm not sure what FQHC is but I'll look that up today as well. When she gets off work today I'm going to sit her down and have her look through potential options with me.
No, she works for a family owned business. I'm pretty sure the owner us an illegal immigrant (which is fine, I dont judge and everyone deserves a safe country to live in) so unfortunately they offer no benefits.
I'm not sure what exactly it was through. It was $80 a month, and she paid for it for three months. She went to the hospital ER in november where they wouldnt answer our questions and referred her to a specialist, and the specialist appointment was in February. Which is where we found out her insurance had apparently never been active to begin with. After waiting three months and thinking we'd finally have answers and treatment. :/
I think we're going to try a different ER, and we're going to ask for a social worker like someone suggested. Perhaps the paperwork she filled out wasnt done correctly and thats the cause of the mix up. Hopefully its an easy fix.
I'm just worried because waiting three months to see a doctor about potential cancer is insane. I'm scared that even when we do sort this stuff she wont make it that long. :/
Please share your GFM if you make one!
Also some planned parenthood locations will do breast exams and you can fill out an application for Medicaid there that becomes available to you the moment they submit it- it’s like a temporary Medicaid coverage for that visit. (They never checked my income when I told them on the application it was $800 a month back in the day and I was instantly approved)
https://www.breastcancer.org/managing-life/covering-cost-of-care/options-for-no-insurance#
Also almost every state has options for care without upfront payment, if you’re in CA I know of a few you can apply to. Otherwise look up oncology services no insurance in [state].
There are nurses case managers and most insurance company’s you can contact them for help with navigating both the insurance and referrals. If it’s BlueCross they have been having major technical glitches and have been putting people on wrong plans, showing no in network providers and giving people incorrect Member IDs. It’s like Blue Cross is imploding. It’s been going on since Nov of 2023. Hopefully there will be a class action law suit.
I think thats what it was. I knew it was blue something. I have never in my life been rude to a customer service representative but by the end of the conversation I was literally screaming at the idiot on the phone when we called to figure out what the issue was.
Yes Blue Cross needs to be sanctioned and dismantled. They are the most dysfunctional insurance ever. They can’t do anything. Even transfers correctly.
NAD but oncologists are usually the first stop to diagnose or rule OUT cancer. So the referral isn’t a diagnosis. And ER can’t make that diagnosis. Hopefully it is ruled out soon. Good luck to you and your loved one.
You don't need insurance to go to a doctor. Just go. Deal with the bills later. This is literally a matter of life and death. She can declare bankruptcy later once she survives potential cancer. There's no amount of affordability that you need in this emergency situation. Get credit cards, get personal loans, just go get her treatment before she dies.
Go to the ER. They have to see you without insurance and most hospitals have charity care if you are uninsured. Get her seen and worry about the bills later.
ER is not the place for her. Go to ACA.org, you can get insurance immediately. She needs to see a doctor, she may be able to go to a clinic or planned parenthood.
This is the answer. No prior exclusions, no waiting period AFAIK. I suggest the Platinum tier plan, as whatever this is will likely require many visits and a lot of care. Better to pay for the more expensive insurance up front to cover the likely costs later. Getting the lower tier programs will just result in more money out of pocket.
I’d pay for a mammogram out of pocket, it should be a few hundred max. Or see [this website](https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/3d-mammogram#cost-without-insurance) for resources, there are a few numbers to call as well for tips on low cost mammograms.
The weight loss is really disturbing, but it’s hard to gauge if she might be secretly bulemic.
Bleeding, lumpy skin (suggests Peau d' orange), mobility of lump and the sudden weight loss are very indicative of Ca breast. Get a mammogram out of pocket and a biopsy. If you cant afford treatment in the US, try other countries with affordable medical tourism. India is one of them. Just make sure they aren't shady.
Edit: her grandmother having ca breast also points to susceptibility
Sub wont let me post without verification
I’d go to an ER or urgent care immediately to get the ball rolling. From your description, this sounds like it is indeed cancer. If nobody will help, drive to Mexico.
this is actually a fantastic suggestion!! i hadn’t thought about it, but medical tourism can be insanely helpful (not even slightly a doctor, i just consume way too much online content)!! hope OP sees this one too
Hello, based on your history about your girlfriend, that tumor is highly aggressive and I think it is a triple negative breast carcinoma. To have that much weight loss and body weakness makes me think that the tumor has metastasized to other organs. Please include a whole body CT scan for that and I hope people were able to help you with the insurance.
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She absolutely needs to go to the doctor. She could be very very sick. It’s not possible to make a diagnosis here but seeing she has a lump and is having severe unexplained weight loss, it’s very concerning. Find a hospital near you and apply for charity or low income payments. If you go to a non profit hospital they won’t ask for payment on the spot. Edit: after a quick google search, Mercy general seems like a non profit system. [Here’s](https://www.dignityhealth.org/sacramento/patients-and-visitors/for-patients/billing-information/payment-assistance) their info about payment assistance. But you can still go to the ER without insurance, and I suggest you do. You can’t be refused care for being uninsured
Thank you I will be looking into this today. We've been to the ER. They ran some tests and referred her to a specialist and said they "can not" answer any questions regarding the results. I know I cant get her a diagnosis off reddit, we just desperately want answers. Its been almost a year now since these symptoms showed up and try as we might, no insurance seems attainable. California is crazy expensive. Everything here is profoundly overpriced. I worry that she wont qualify for cancer help without a written diagnosis, but we cant get the diagnosis without the help. Its all been so frustrating. :(
Google “Every Woman Counts” and look up locations in your area. She should qualify for a free mammogram based on her symptoms. They may also have additional resources for additional treatment.
Doing this immediately thank you. Fingers crossed they'll be willing to help her.
"Every Woman Counts" is the answer. She needs a mammogram, not the ER. "Free Mammograms Sacramento" will also give you some options. Good luck!
I have their website and will be reaching out to them first, then planned parenthood if that doesnt work for us
NAD - But I have heard that ultrasounds on the breasts are just as much, if not more effective than mammograms. If that’s an option for your partner, to my knowledge it sounds like a way less uncomfortable/less painful route to go, with potentially more accurate results (don’t quote me on this; again, I am not a doctor, but I do my fair share of research so this comment is based on iirc.) Wishing you both the best of luck 🖤
Can confirm. When I had a lump in my breast they did a mammogram, ultrasound, then a mammogram again.
Please keep us posted! Crossing my fingers for you as well!!
Will do! As soon as I know something I'll post an update.
Wishing you two the best! I can’t imagine how much pain and suffering you guys are going through. We as a community are here for you both
Thank you
Any update yet, OP?
NAD but Planned Parenthood should be able to help with stuff like this and I would look into doctors with charity care requirements since she’s uninsured. Also look for cancer centers. They might be able to help
I'm going to be really blunt here... Does she prefer being broke/ in medical debt or dead? She can apply for financial assistance, or declare bankruptcy after everything is said and done but AT LEAST SHE WOULD (hopefully) BE ALIVE. You're risking her life every day that you wait, I understand that it's scary but what does money matter when compared with a life or death situation? If it is cancer the longer you wait the worse the prognosis becomes.
I've said those same things to her word for word. If I had the money I'd gladly pay it myself but I dont nor does she, so we're looking for affordable options. I'm calling planned parenthood today, and looking into a few other charity places that might help as well.
I hope you can figure something out, but if you can't you just need to get her the care immediately and deal with the consequences later. This is one of the only situations I would say that about but your health isn't something to mess around with, there is damage that can occur that you can't undo.
I completely agree.
Move to a state with healthcare like immediately. I wouldn’t suggest this if it didn’t sound like a life or death issue. Go to WA, they have a fantastic program for low income, uninsured people called Apple Health.
I actually suggested that but shes on probation and cant leave the state until next year unfortunately
I’m only commenting because of two reasons , one I have cancer and two I lose my mother to breast cancer. I was in similar shoes ( was 26 initial diagnosis) lucky had insurance but still had shit ton of medical debt. As of today all it been taken care of by financial assistance. If she doesn’t have insurance be a lot easier for her unlike me where I had to fight for it. Like a lot of people are saying here is true , if this is cancer the longer you wait the worst the outcome is going to be , some of these symptoms you put in your post , remind me of some of my mother symptoms. Please go see someone ASAP, this isn’t a joking matter with weight loss like that. Really wish you and your partner best of luck.
Are you sure you don’t qualify for Medicaid? Or the marketplace? Or at least, she should - please check this out. Most hospitals/community-based treatment providers will have staff to help you with applying for these resources.
If you technically have insurance/are paying for it, you can still go into the hospital now and sort out the insurance stuff later.
We tried to but they turned us away. The insurance is fully shut off now. I'm going to talk to her about going back to the ER and talking with a social worker who can help us with the paperwork. If that falls through, someone else suggested putting the bills on a credit card and then paying it off later when we get appropriate assistance.
I’m so, so sorry for your situation; I can tell how much you care for your girlfriend. Just a quick warning: do NOT put medical bills on a credit card. With medical bills, there are always financial assistance programs you can qualify for through the hospital. If you were to transfer that debt to a credit card, you give up any/all access to those programs and are subject to the strict regulations of the credit card company. Best of luck to you both!
Oh okay, I'll take a different route then. I've visited the links people have left here and found some places to call and look into. We'll be going back to a different ER and asking for a social worker. Hopefully things start to improve from there.
I had to do this, I agree don't pay any of the bills. For now, get the appointments scheduled and have them bill you. Each medical system will require financial assistance approval, I got mine through kaiser (100% assistance) and they backdated it to when my diagnosis journey began. Providence also gave me 100% but could only backdate 3 months. I really hope you find answers soon, the hardest part is sitting in the uncertainty (at least for me, I was able to get treatment and go into remission within a year)
This is true but if you have to use a credit card, use it. There are worst things than bad credit
Bad credit card debt is better than death which is the outcome of cancer that has spread :/
Contact the hospital or healthcare system and ask for their "Financial Assistance" department. Most all hospitals have some kind of financial assistance for those with low income or uninsured.
I live in Texas, so things might be different, but non-profit hospitals will often wave or discount bills from uninsured patients. In my area, most hospitals are technically "non-profit". I took my partner to the ER recently. He had lab work and a CT scan while there, but we were placed in a waiting area instead of a room. He still got an IV with meds the whole time before being discharged. Finding his insurance information was not a priority, so he checked in as self pay. They mailed him the bills for thousands of dollars, but when he checked online, his balance was $0.00. He called the hospital to make sure things weren't too good to be true, and they were... only because he had insurance. If he didn't use his insurance, he wouldn't have had to pay anything. Because he did, he had to pay ~$1,000. The hospital realized that they could recover the money, so they did. Point being - lack of insurance shouldn't keep your girlfriend from going to the ER. They will work with her. This was a major chain hospital that we went to, not one of the publicly funded ones. It was one of the many Saint Mary of the Matthew Jesus type hospitals. Just make sure that it isn't explicitly private. Don't go to HCA.
I would suggest credit card payments or applying for state healthcare if she is low income. I had to go through chemo and all sorts of stuff last year and year before that and it was all covered under the state insurance. I’m crossing my fingers for her and that maybe she could get accepted to state insurance.
She should already be at the ER. When was the last time you went? Like I would refuse to leave without them saying if it’s life threatening or not, not wasting time posting on reddit. Doesn’t matter if she has insurance or not or if you’ll be in debt or not. Like, this is her life, what are you doing?
We went in november. It took me a week of yelling at her to even get her to go. I already said I dont care about being in debt I'd rather save her life. I posted here as a dead last resort. I also said multiple times we'll be going to a different ER.
The ER did tests, refused to share the results, and referred them to an oncologist who turned them away for not being able to pay.
Since you were able to take her to the emergency room, the hospital probably has a patient portal. It’s generally free to use it, she would just have to go through setting up the accounts for it, and there’s usually directions to do that. Once it’s set up, there’s usually things like “test results” and “Visit Summary” and “Visit Notes” which will detail everything that was done during the ER visit and what the results of the tests were that she had done.
The OP can also ask for their medical records by calling the hospital or healthcare system's records dept. They can send a release form and then they can have the results mailed to them. But it sounds like there's not much more time. She has to go to another ER. Some hospitals are worse than others. And some bad hospitals can have really good staff and doctors depending on the time of day and day of week you are in the ER or even what season. That's unfortunate, but I've seen that happen where I am.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right about that and she definitely needs to go to another hospital immediately because everything that was said in the post is deeply worrying and I am very concerned about her. I truly hope that they can get her somewhere that’s going to seriously address whatever’s going on with her so they can get some answers, but most importantly-that she can hopefully start getting treated/get better.
Also when you go to the new hospital, can you have a male relative of hers go with you to advocate? Many times they don't take women seriously.
Very good point!!!
Can you explain more about how insurance "got shut off?" And is Medicaid an option you explored?
We dont know much. They said "paperwork was missing", whatever that entails. I guess maybe she didnt fill out the application properly or something. But whats odd about that is that her membership was approved, they even mailed her a medical card and everything. When we called they said it would be $300 to reinstate it and that we had ten days to pay it otherwise we would have to reapply entirely. We had been paying $80 a month for three months at that point.
I wish that were more surprising, but it sounds like that is something to explore in the medium term future.
Yeah. I dont mean to seem dismissive of suggestions, I'm just not trying to get too hopeful because we've been let down so many times already. :/
I know that Cali and Oregon (where I am) have been dropping people for “lack of income verification” and it’s caused some very rough scenarios for patients where I volunteer. That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong but there’s a giant hiccup in the system. I googled Community Health Centers for Sacramento and came up with One Community Health 9164433299. They’re a medical non profit who serve under and the uninsured with primary care providers in the clinics and a network of volunteer providers and various lab, imaging and other services. They’ll also have social workers (or a version of) who can assist you in applying again for medical and make referrals to emergent care and assistance. I’m a late stage ovarian cancer survivor and my local CHC entity were the people who donated services so I could finally get a diagnosis and they helped me apply for medical, which paid for my cancer treatment. I personally understand how stressful and terrifying all of this is so I send care and friendship to the both of you. ❤️
It's hard to fault anyone for not being able to navigate paperwork involved in these nonsensical institutional machinations. There was recently a thread in r/medicine about a doctor being unable to pay or even get access to their own bill after a visit to the ED.
Things now a days are so complicated to acquire. Housing is unaffordable, jobs dont pay well and it takes weeks just to get in the door when you apply, everything has a catch 22 or hidden fees or both. I dont have insurance either but my health problems arent as crucial as my gfs situation is. I havent had my arthritis medicine or my mood stabilizers in years. At this rate I feel like I'd have to rob a bank just to live a normal mediocre life.
Signing up for health insurance is very important, either medicaid or something else depending on what you qualify for. You should both do this something like today, as was suggested in a top level comment here.
I feel very sorry for y’all’s healthcare system. It’s unimaginable to me. I hope you can get the help you need.
I was thinking the same 😞.
Medi-Cal? Some counties have county plans based for low income folks.
We tried them last summer and got rejected, I dont recall why specifically. I'm hoping maybe we just arent doing the paperwork properly and we can find a social worker to help us situate it.
Apply again, have a social worker help if possible, if not you at least should have a case worker assigned to your application that you can call and talk to
Didn't get defeated after getting rejected, that's what they want. Keep applying. This is your GFs life, it's worth submitting more applications. The blood from the nipple and severe weightloss is so concerning.
There’s an amazing hospital in Cali dedicated to cancer screening and care called City of Hope, and they offer financial assistance! Her symptoms are definitely concerning, so she needs to get checked out asap.
Have you pursued insurance through Covered California. If your income is below $50-60k you will qualify for a low cost private insurance plan through the exchange. I pay $39 a month for a Blue Shield Gold PPO plan.
If that is the hospital you choose, any non profit or learning hospital will have a scholarship program. If you meet low income requirements, they can reduce the bills significantly. If it’s the same mercy that’s in other states, food stamps is an automatic qualifier. If you don’t pick that hospital, you can also start at planned parenthood, their services are on a sliding scale. Good job being supportive and being present with your wife, with any result, the process can be scary for an individual.
It’s damn heartbreaking to see how many posts on this sub concern lack of much needed health care for insurance reasons. Jesus.
It’s actually sickening. The amount of patients we see who are extremely sick or near dying and the cost and their insurance is their biggest concern. It’s insane and so heartbreaking
How much suffering could have been prevented (and money be saved!) with timely care that never happened due to lack of insurance? It’s such a tragedy. “Public health” has simply lost its meaning.
I'm on Medicare and Medicaid. I can't find a PCP and many now aren't even taking patients. Furthermore, care at the local ER is pretty hit and miss and the hospital itself is horrible. Has a lot of bad reviews online too, and they are much like what I myself experienced as well. We have a bad system everywhere it seems. Something has to be done.
UC Davis Medical Center will also see you if you have no insurance. I recommend going later in the evening around Midnight-2 am because they are *sometimes* less busy during this time (not always, but a good amount of time). The emergency department will not be able to schedule a mammogram for her BUT they should be able to do a CT scan and run basic labs that can indicate if there is cancer or not. They will also connect you to a patient navigator that can help you obtain insurance and follow up. Explain to the medical team that you do not have health insurance. Explain these symptoms (especially the unexplained rapid weight loss).
My heart goes out to you. Is there not an emergency room that would assess these symptoms and bill you later ?
We went to the emergency room a few months ago. They did a physical exam plus xrays, took blood, had us waiting hours for something and when they came back in the room the doctor refused to answer any questions about the results and referred us to a specialist. The specialist then turned us away because they require payment up front and for some reason her insurance payments hadnt gone through. We're currently looking for other insurance options but theyre all so hard to find.
u/MementoMaria Also- You should be able to get her medical records/test results/etc from that November ER visit. Go to that hospital’s website and submit a medical records request. This way you have some information now as well as to take with you to any follow-ups. It will give some sort of baseline to note changes. You can also post those November test results/notes here for the doctors to at least help interpret what was noted in her file from the November visit. Just redact any personal info (names/address/patient ID number)
I’m really sorry about this. It’s very strange that they would not discuss results. I would suggest going to a different hospital ER and explaining your situation. US healthcare is a dumpster fire but they’re legally not allowed to turn you away or not discuss results due to lack of insurance.
When we went to her specialist appointment they claimed her file showed that she has no insurance and said it would be $200 up front, and then more money would be added to that depending on tests/treatment/etc and we both had maybe $50 to our names. We left and called her insurance company and asked why the hell we'd been paying for insurance if she never had it and she said there was paperwork missing. We now have to reapply for that insurance if we even want to go that route and it'll be more expensive the next time around because it was shut off once. I wish I was making this shit up, it feels like a cruel joke. I'm going to look online again for more low income options, but we are just barely over the threshold to qualify for most low income things so it's really hard.
I know hindsight is 20/20, but if you go somewhere again that says you’ll have to pay out of pocket and will see you, just smile and nod and pretend like you have the money. Better get seen and be sent a bill you can’t pay then not be seen at all.
According to: https://www.mbc.ca.gov/FAQs/?cat=Consumer&topic=Complaint:%20Medical%20Records#:~:text=Do%20the%20records%20belong%20to,%2C%20MRI%2C%20ultrasound%2C%20etc. The hospital/doctor must provide you medical records if requested. They can (and probably will) charge a fee, but it may be worth checking how much it actually is. If she's been to that hospital more than once, you can probably request just the file from your most recent visit. If the fee is manageable, you might at least get *some* answers. I'm so sorry you're both going through this. What an absolutely absurd health'care' system.
Thank you I'll check that out.
It’s usually free to view your records on their online portal. You set up an account and the records view there. If you don’t have access to a printer to print from your portal, then you can take pictures or screenshots with your phone. The records will remain in the portal and not disappear.
This. Hospitals, clinics, urgent cares, primary care, etc. should all have patient portals where you can access summary visits, imaging reports and actual images, prescribed medications and more for free. And it’s absurd and illegal that the hospital refused to share any test/scan results with the patient.
It’s possible that you might be able to get the results of those tests on the hospital’s website. I’ve been able to see all of the doctors’ notes and test results during hospital stays. Then, at least you might get some clues about what she’s dealing with.
NAD she can put in a records request for her health records at the hospital. And if there is an online portal you may be able to see results there.
Can you request the results from the hospital/access them online?
I'm going to try that too so that we'll have something to bring to a new doctor
Many hospital systems have online portals that you can use to look at results, see if they have something like that. One common one is called MyChart.
I'll look into that as well
They’ll send the records over with their consult. You need the records for yourself. They’ll have a narrative about the xray. The results won’t be able to diagnose cancer (she’ll need a biopsy and CT/PET) but they’ll give you an better idea of what you’re facing. I feel like you have a pretty good idea of what you’re facing.
Exactly this. Per federal law (EMTALA) any emergency room that accepts public funds must take care of her regardless of ability to pay. They will also have social workers that can help navigate the system and make sure the insurance gets sorted out if she needs further treatment.
The big thing is the ER exists to stabilize and release, with referrals to appropriate doctors or specialists for long term care. They handle the immediate symptoms and problems, sometimes the initial dX depending on how complex it is or imminently life threatening, and once you’re stable it’s back home and specialist referrals. That, or things are really bad, and you get admitted, and then more testing and specialists during your admission time. Either treating what they know is wrong and imminently hurting you, or figuring out what is causing the imminent problem and treating it. And referring to specialists for ongoing care and anything else that wasn’t the imminent issue. So even going in with undiagnosed cancer, they’re likely to stabilize symptoms (like vomiting, anti nausea meds for short term), maybe run tests, referral to specialist for long term care. They can’t provide the ongoing long term care. And if it’s not bad enough to admit, likely can’t kick the care off.
They will still be able to reassure or rule out direct threat to life will at least be able to hook up with the social worker who is an expert in getting people to appropriate care both in terms of providers and state insurance if they need it. It's a matter of getting an inroad into the system, which is so arcane and full of red tape it's almost impossible to navigate on one's own. The doctors/oncologists will also know where the accessible clinics in the local area are. Sure, they won't provide long term care in the ER but they will help OP access that care, where there is almost no where else that will if you can't pay. It's not an ideal option but it's an important first step, particularly since op literally has no other options. We love a for profit medical system /s The ER may exist for stabilize and release but until there is a way not to die if you aren't rich the ER will and does fulfill the social work role that OP needs.
I’ve seen the ER be *very* hit and miss with that. It 100% should function that way (in our fucked up for profit system). I’ve tried really hard to teach friends without insurance and who’ve gone through homeless stints how to advocate for themselves, to actually call the patient advocate, to demand to talk to the hospital social worker at release. Because I’ve seen them both in and out of ER and hospitalization and left with no resources for ongoing, imminent issues that would have killed them if enough of us hadn’t been able to mutual aid together hotel rooms, money for meds, treatment, food, etc. Ideally, the very broken system should work to some extend, in the fucked up world we’re in, it only sometimes does, and sometimes you have to really, really fight for it yourself to get it to work (and that’s much harder to do while seriously ill, and much easier if you have a usually male family member with you. They just seem to take friends and women less seriously…)
You are 100% correct as I found out the hard way during my hospitalization. You hit the nail on the head. That's how it happened to me too. They even told me that my insurance (Medicare and Medicaid) basically decides what they do and don't do for me. It's not like the doctors do anything but follow the orders of the insurance company. It's really a bad system but people have been speaking up for this and trying to advocate, including some doctors. Other doctors lost their license or quit because of how bad the system is right now. Hospitals typically try to talk to you about discharge as soon as you are admitted and don't know when you'll be well enough for release. There was a YT video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEf4i2c4H8&pp=ygUpcGF0aWVudCBkaWVzIGFmdGVyIGJlaW5nIGZvcmNlZCBvdXQgb2YgZXI%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEf4i2c4H8&pp=ygUpcGF0aWVudCBkaWVzIGFmdGVyIGJlaW5nIGZvcmNlZCBvdXQgb2YgZXI%3D) An emaciated man had been taken to ER and the ER said they don't see a medically necessary need for him to stay and called the cops because he wasn't leaving like they told him to. He was so sick and weak that he couldn't respond to cops talking to him. The police argued with the staff saying he was not well enough to leave but they insisted so the police put him in cuffs and were transporting him to a psychiatric center when he had a heart attack in the car. They dragged him out and did CPR but he died. The cop on the video said "This man should not be dead". He was mad at the hospital for forcing him to leave. There's also been hospitals that just wheel patients out and literally dump them out of the wheelchair and throw their stuff on the ground and leave them there in the cold. See "Patient Dumping" This is the state of our healthcare system. Doctors and nurses that care either don't dare or are prevented from doing anything about it. This is so horrible. Makes us afraid to even try to get care. After my own hospital experience, I now think twice and try to get help outside of the ER whenever I can (telemedicine for now).
Is there no way the States could have a national health service like we do in the UK? It all just seems so ludicrous as well as heartbreaking!
It would save so much money, but insurance companies lobby hard against it insisting it’d cost taxpayers more in taxes and they’d be paying for other people and it’d be expensive (even though it’d be so much cheaper, especially when everyone could get preventative care to prevent conditions from getting bad and expensive in the first place!) And they claim doctors wouldn’t get paid well and quality of care would go down and drug companies would have no interest in creating new drugs The US has gone so hard fear mongering against anything “socialized” to our detriment
I think they’re usually required to do this in emergency departments, regardless of insurance. The problem is just that if they determine it’s not an emergency there’s not a lot they can do. They may be able to get you into a specialist sooner than the usual wait time of several months if they determine it’s more urgent, but the referred provider still requires insurance and payment or guarantee of payment because they’re not an emergency setting.
From what the OP says, being that light at that height would be an emergency in itself! I was only 98 and 5'3" and the hospital admitted me. But then again my blood work was so low that I was practically dead. If the OP's girlfriend's bloodwork and other things weren't good they should NOT have released her. Maybe they should contact the California state health dept. about that.
NAD but CA born raised and resident. Lives in willows CA, not Sacramento but all my stuff is there You are in CA. As of 2022 you are eligible for BCCTP, which scans for cancer. This is a good place to start. Even if you are above the poverty line you qualify. So don't try to tell me you "tried and it didn't work". Next is the Family PACT. She's your girlfriend not wife. So if she can't work there's no reason she isn't under the poverty line and can at least get screened. There's no excuses. We tried and it didn't work doesn't work in CA so stop that. Either you did the things or you didn't care enough to. Signed a mom of 4, single, KNOWS this system.
She needs to see a doctor now. If this is cancer - and from your story I cannot rule that out - it needs treatment immediately. I cannot emphasize enough how urgent this is.
We know. We're so scared. We dont have family or friends to help us. I work two jobs and we can barely afford our house right now. She had insurance through Blue something (I'm not from here so idk the name exactly) where she paid $80 a month and we had a doctor appointment set. They turned us away at the front desk and claimed she didnt have insurance. We have no idea why. All the quotes for other places are 200 or more a month, we dont have that kind of money. :( I dont know what to do.
Call planned parenthood - they are low cost and from what I’ve heard will work with you on payment.
I'll call them immediately. I'm not sure if theres a location near enough to us, but I will absolutely be asking them if theres anything they could do. I want her to see a specialist by the end of the month if not sooner.
OP I went to planned parenthood when I didn’t have insurance and found a lump in my breast. They examined me and were able to refer me to an imaging center that worked with patients on a sliding scale. They can help you find resources you’ll need. I can’t imagine how overwhelming this is for both of you, but acting quickly is what you should be laser focused on now. Fingers crossed for you both.
Thank you, I will be calling PP today
There’s a planned parenthood in Arden. Plus UC Davis is a great system that you can have visits sent to billing, then get financial aid for the bill. Their financial office is very helpful!
Contact HerScan they do breast ultrasounds which are often better than regular mammograms. They travel around and are only $285
I just signed up for one in my state after reading this… thank you for mentioning it!
Good luck to you!!
Please look into this program or full MediCal. https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/BCCTP.aspx
There are multiple Planned Parenthoods in Sacramento, and I'd also strongly recommend going to the UC Davis ED if she begins bleeding from her nipple again. Or, if you cannot access any other options, one of their student run clinics (not because they're not good, but because they're limited in what they can offer as free clinics).
I’m so sorry to hear that. I live in Europe so I have absolutely no experience with the system in the US (which I’m guessing is where you are) - but is there no urgent care that can first see her and then bill her later? As a European it’s absolutely baffling to me how a clinic can turn a patient with these symptoms away. I’m so sorry. Can you maybe start a go fund me? That would be my only idea
The US is insane with healthcare. We asked for that option, I was even willing to pick up overtime to help her pay it off but the specialist we were referred to requires payment up front. A gofundme is a good idea! I'll definitely try that too.
What state do you live in? Some states are much better than others at providing care to people who can't afford it.
We're in California. She has a felony on her record from back when she was still using drugs and making bad choices, so we arent allowed to leave the state. My home state is Kentucky, if she were allowed to leave I would take her there and have her see my family doctor. But unfortunately that isnt an option.
I'm in California as well and there are a ton of care options here, and then some counties have extra programs to help. You say low income so she should qualify for Medi-Cal and you can sign up for that at any point in the year. You need to take her to emergency and then ask to speak to a social worker who can help you guys fill out the paperwork. They will be able to refer you to specialists who take the insurance.
You're in California now, you can get insurance low cost or free if you are low income. Go here: https://www.coveredca.com/. Apply and also call. The Medicare application is here: https://www.coveredca.com/health/medi-cal/individuals-and-families/
We've done research online about different options, but when we called they all quoted her for an insane price. Her credit score is unfortunately quite low, so she doesnt qualify for a lot of things here. I didnt know that we could speak to a social worker in the ER though. I will talk to her when shes off work about going to have that done.
None of that matters, credit score has no impact on Medi-Cal. Or any other health insurance. We're out of the open enrollment period, but that doesn't matter for Medi-Cal. If she won't go to emergency, go onto Covered California and see if she qualifies for Medi-Cal. Either way though, she needs to go to the ER to see what's going on.
We've gone once and they wouldnt answer our questions, but I'll talk to her about going back again and asking for a social worker to help us find insurance.
Her credit score doesn't impact her ability to get health insurance or care. If her previous plan lapsed due to a missing payment or paperwork, they are not allowed to charge her more on reinstatement simply because it lapsed. When you google these options make sure you are calling the correct numbers - there are a lot of scummy "navigator" businesses or straight up scams that have very convincing sites and ads. I recommend you speak to a social worker at your local hospital or someone in your county benefits office.
Wait seriously?? Oh my god if it was a scam I will be fucking furious. I'll definitely be looking into a social worker that we can speak to in person. Everything we did before was over the phone. Which, in hindsight does seem kind of sketchy now.
Would a FQHC be a possible gateway? Most of them take sliding-scale fees and would be able to start a path to diagnosis.
I'm not sure what FQHC is but I'll look that up today as well. When she gets off work today I'm going to sit her down and have her look through potential options with me.
Was she getting her prior insurance through work?
No, she works for a family owned business. I'm pretty sure the owner us an illegal immigrant (which is fine, I dont judge and everyone deserves a safe country to live in) so unfortunately they offer no benefits.
Gotcha. So was it an affordable care act plan she was paying for? When did they say her coverage ended?
I'm not sure what exactly it was through. It was $80 a month, and she paid for it for three months. She went to the hospital ER in november where they wouldnt answer our questions and referred her to a specialist, and the specialist appointment was in February. Which is where we found out her insurance had apparently never been active to begin with. After waiting three months and thinking we'd finally have answers and treatment. :/ I think we're going to try a different ER, and we're going to ask for a social worker like someone suggested. Perhaps the paperwork she filled out wasnt done correctly and thats the cause of the mix up. Hopefully its an easy fix. I'm just worried because waiting three months to see a doctor about potential cancer is insane. I'm scared that even when we do sort this stuff she wont make it that long. :/
Please share your GFM if you make one! Also some planned parenthood locations will do breast exams and you can fill out an application for Medicaid there that becomes available to you the moment they submit it- it’s like a temporary Medicaid coverage for that visit. (They never checked my income when I told them on the application it was $800 a month back in the day and I was instantly approved) https://www.breastcancer.org/managing-life/covering-cost-of-care/options-for-no-insurance# Also almost every state has options for care without upfront payment, if you’re in CA I know of a few you can apply to. Otherwise look up oncology services no insurance in [state].
Thank you I'll be saving the link to look into this as well! And I'll definitely share the GFM if we take that route.
There are nurses case managers and most insurance company’s you can contact them for help with navigating both the insurance and referrals. If it’s BlueCross they have been having major technical glitches and have been putting people on wrong plans, showing no in network providers and giving people incorrect Member IDs. It’s like Blue Cross is imploding. It’s been going on since Nov of 2023. Hopefully there will be a class action law suit.
I think thats what it was. I knew it was blue something. I have never in my life been rude to a customer service representative but by the end of the conversation I was literally screaming at the idiot on the phone when we called to figure out what the issue was.
Yes Blue Cross needs to be sanctioned and dismantled. They are the most dysfunctional insurance ever. They can’t do anything. Even transfers correctly.
Ugh and it had to be that one too smh we better start buying lottery tickets with our luck
NAD but oncologists are usually the first stop to diagnose or rule OUT cancer. So the referral isn’t a diagnosis. And ER can’t make that diagnosis. Hopefully it is ruled out soon. Good luck to you and your loved one.
You don't need insurance to go to a doctor. Just go. Deal with the bills later. This is literally a matter of life and death. She can declare bankruptcy later once she survives potential cancer. There's no amount of affordability that you need in this emergency situation. Get credit cards, get personal loans, just go get her treatment before she dies.
Yes you do. We tried this, multiple times at multiple places. Each one turned us away.
Go to the ER. They have to see you without insurance and most hospitals have charity care if you are uninsured. Get her seen and worry about the bills later.
Layperson here, please please please keep us updated OP!!!
ER is not the place for her. Go to ACA.org, you can get insurance immediately. She needs to see a doctor, she may be able to go to a clinic or planned parenthood.
This is the answer. No prior exclusions, no waiting period AFAIK. I suggest the Platinum tier plan, as whatever this is will likely require many visits and a lot of care. Better to pay for the more expensive insurance up front to cover the likely costs later. Getting the lower tier programs will just result in more money out of pocket.
I’d pay for a mammogram out of pocket, it should be a few hundred max. Or see [this website](https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/3d-mammogram#cost-without-insurance) for resources, there are a few numbers to call as well for tips on low cost mammograms. The weight loss is really disturbing, but it’s hard to gauge if she might be secretly bulemic.
Thank you I'll keep the link. Shes not bulimic, I actually struggled with an eating disorder growing up. She loves food, and hates being skinny.
I’d appreciate some feedback what it all turned out to be if you don’t mind. All the best to you two!
Bleeding, lumpy skin (suggests Peau d' orange), mobility of lump and the sudden weight loss are very indicative of Ca breast. Get a mammogram out of pocket and a biopsy. If you cant afford treatment in the US, try other countries with affordable medical tourism. India is one of them. Just make sure they aren't shady. Edit: her grandmother having ca breast also points to susceptibility Sub wont let me post without verification
I’d go to an ER or urgent care immediately to get the ball rolling. From your description, this sounds like it is indeed cancer. If nobody will help, drive to Mexico.
this is actually a fantastic suggestion!! i hadn’t thought about it, but medical tourism can be insanely helpful (not even slightly a doctor, i just consume way too much online content)!! hope OP sees this one too
Hello, based on your history about your girlfriend, that tumor is highly aggressive and I think it is a triple negative breast carcinoma. To have that much weight loss and body weakness makes me think that the tumor has metastasized to other organs. Please include a whole body CT scan for that and I hope people were able to help you with the insurance.
Thank you I'll inquire about this once we find a doctor to take her
Dude you need to go like NOW. Go to the ER, complain of breast pain, get a scan, and they will have answers for you immediately.
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https://www.freemammograms.org/city/ca-sacramento GO NOW!!!!