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Mesothelioma and Health Insurance Coverage
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A mesothelioma patient on an employer-sponsored health insurance plan may pay up to $6,000 annually for treatment, while a patient on an individual plan may pay up to $10,000 in coverage a year. Those on Medicare can pay an average of $8,000 annually.
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Asbestos.com is the nation’s most trusted mesothelioma resource
The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com has provided patients and their loved ones the most updated and reliable information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure since 2006.
Our team of Patient Advocates includes a medical doctor, a registered nurse, health services administrators, veterans, VA-accredited Claims Agents, an oncology patient navigator and hospice care expert. Their combined expertise means we help any mesothelioma patient or loved one through every step of their cancer journey.
More than 30 contributors, including mesothelioma doctors, survivors, health care professionals and other experts, have peer-reviewed our website and written unique research-driven articles to ensure you get the highest-quality medical and health information.
About The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com
- Assisting mesothelioma patients and their loved ones since 2006.
- Helps more than 50% of mesothelioma patients diagnosed annually in the U.S.
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
- 5-star reviewed mesothelioma and support organization.
Testimonials
My family has only the highest compliment for the assistance and support that we received from The Mesothelioma Center. This is a staff of compassionate and knowledgeable individuals who respect what your family is experiencing and who go the extra mile to make an unfortunate diagnosis less stressful. Information and assistance were provided by The Mesothelioma Center at no cost to our family.LashawnMesothelioma patient’s daughter
How to Cite Asbestos.com’s Article
APA
Miller, M. (2023, June 21). Mesothelioma and Health Insurance Coverage. Asbestos.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023, from https://www.asbestos.com/treatment/insurance/
MLA
Miller, Missy. "Mesothelioma and Health Insurance Coverage." Asbestos.com, 21 Jun 2023, https://www.asbestos.com/treatment/insurance/.
Chicago
Miller, Missy. "Mesothelioma and Health Insurance Coverage." Asbestos.com. Last modified June 21, 2023. https://www.asbestos.com/treatment/insurance/.
Does Health Insurance Cover Mesothelioma Treatment?
Health insurance does make mesothelioma treatment more affordable. But health insurance remains a controversial topic in the U.S., and cancer treatment is still very expensive in many cases.
Patients and families often face extra challenges paying for mesothelioma treatment because mesothelioma is a rare asbestos-related disease.
A 2017 American Cancer Society report estimated how much patients with different types of coverage have to pay for one year of advanced lung cancer treatment. This is comparable to pleural mesothelioma treatment.
Did You Know?
Estimated Annual Patient Costs for Cancer Treatment (Including Insurance Premiums): $10,114
Source:
American Cancer Society, 2017
What Does Health Insurance for Mesothelioma Patients Cover?
In general, health insurance covers the vast majority of cancer treatment costs. But the amount you have to pay out of pocket depends on what type of treatments you receive. Where you receive them and what type of health insurance you have play a role.
Employer-Sponsored Insurance
Employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States usually provides more affordable coverage. This is because buying health insurance as a group allows a company’s workforce to get better terms.
However, most mesothelioma patients are retired by the time they are diagnosed. Younger patients may have to leave their jobs when they begin treatment.
Quick Fact:
Estimated cost for mesothelioma patient on employer’s insurance plan: $5,654.
Private Individual Insurance
Americans with individual health insurance policies face high costs for health care. They may have to pay higher monthly premiums because they are not buying health insurance as a group.
The government subsidizes health insurance premiums for low-income Americans. Individual health insurance plans shift costs to patients. They do this through higher deductibles and more expensive copays or coinsurance rates.
Quick Fact:
Estimated cost for mesothelioma patient on private insurance plan: $10,114.
Medicare, Medicaid and VA Health Care
Most mesothelioma patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. They are the largest federally funded public health care programs in America. Many mesothelioma patients who are veterans of the U.S. armed forces are also eligible for VA health care benefits.
Medicare typically covers those over the age of 65 who have paid into the system throughout their working lives. There are four main parts in Medicare that determine what is included in each person’s coverage.
- Part A: Covers inpatient care in hospitals and nursing, hospice or home facilities.
- Part B: Costs an additional premium each month and includes doctor visits, laboratory costs, medical equipment and ambulance care.
- Part C (Medicare Advantage): Purchased from a private insurance company as an alternative to original Medicare. Includes benefits of parts A, B and usually D.
- Part D: Costs an additional premium each month and helps pay for prescription drugs.
A Medigap policy is a private health insurance plan that supplements Medicare. Medigap policies often have expensive premiums. But they can close the gap between what Medicare covers and what a patient needs.
Medicaid is designed to cover the cost of medical care for those with low income. Not all health care providers accept it, and benefits can vary from state to state, but it often covers mesothelioma treatment. It’s important for patients to know they have to get treatment in their state in order for Medicaid to cover the treatment cost.
If a patient can prove there are no specialists in their state, Medicaid may approve treatment from a nearby state.
Veterans with mesothelioma can get cancer treatment from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. This network includes prominent mesothelioma specialists in Los Angeles, Boston, Miami and Houston.
Quick Fact:
Estimated cost for mesothelioma patient on Medicaid with Medigap: $8,396.
Factors Affecting Insurance Coverage for Mesothelioma Treatment
The best time for financial planning is at the beginning of your mesothelioma treatment. Ask for help understanding the following terms and what they mean for your situation. An insurance company representative, hospital social worker or patient advocate can help.
- Deductible: How much you have to pay out-of-pocket every year before your insurance coverage kicks in.
- Copay and Coinsurance: How much you have to pay even when your insurance is covering you. A copay is a flat fee per service, and coinsurance means you have to pay a percentage of each medical bill.
- Premium: Your monthly payment to stay covered by health insurance. Generally, a higher premium means a lower deductible and lower copays/coinsurance.
- In-Network vs. Out-of-Network: Health insurance plans usually specify certain doctors, hospitals and pharmacies where copays and coinsurance are cheaper. This is called their health insurance network. Because asbestos-related cancer is rare, seeing a mesothelioma doctor may require you to go outside your plan’s network.
- Out-of-Pocket Maximum: Once you have paid the maximum out of pocket, the law requires most insurance plans to cover your medical bills at 100 percent for the rest of the year. For 2019, the maximums were set at $7,900 for individual plans and $15,800 for family plans.
- Affordable Care Act (ACA): This 2010 law enacted many reforms that directly benefit mesothelioma patients today.
The ACA sets minimum health insurance standards that include cancer screenings, cancer treatment and follow-up care. It forbids insurance plans from having lifetime or annual limits for how much they provide for cancer treatment.
Most important, the ACA prohibits insurance companies from dropping patients with serious diseases or excluding patients with pre-existing conditions such as cancer.
The American health care system still presents many serious challenges, however. A 2021 report in the Journal of Thoracic Disease concluded that younger age, female sex, non-white race, private insurance, Medicare, and a higher income were associated with better survival.
Balance Billing: When a health care provider sends a bill to your insurance, but your insurance decides not to pay all of it, you could be billed for the remaining balance. This often happens when patients receive care from an out-of-network provider without realizing it.
Further, when patients receive a treatment their insurance company refuses to cover, the company could deny the health insurance claim completely.
What If My Health Insurance Claim Is Denied?
If your health insurance company denies a claim for mesothelioma treatment, don’t get discouraged. Push for the resources you need, and look for assistance wherever you can find it.
Mesothelioma presents a unique set of health insurance problems because it is so rare. Few medical professionals know how to treat it effectively. To get the best care, patients should seek a mesothelioma specialist, even when it means going outside their insurance network to do it.
Medical Outreach Director and Patient Advocate Missy Miller explains, “A lot of times people just give up when they are told ‘no.’ But you can’t give up. You resubmit the request. You go back to your doctor, and you talk to him about it. We work with patients to help get them approved.”
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