Mesothelioma and Health Insurance Coverage

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.

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.

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, which is comparable to pleural mesothelioma treatment.

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.

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. Even then, individual health insurance plans typically shift costs to patients through higher deductibles and more expensive copays or coinsurance rates.

Medicare, Medicaid and VA Health Care

Most mesothelioma patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, which are the largest federally funded public health care programs in America. Many mesothelioma patients who are also 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.

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 offer an approval to seek treatment from a nearby state that does have mesothelioma specialists.

Veterans with mesothelioma are often eligible for low-cost or free cancer treatment from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. This national network includes prominent mesothelioma specialists in Los Angeles, Boston, Miami and Houston.

Factors Affecting Insurance Coverage for Mesothelioma Treatment

The best time for financial planning is at the beginning of your mesothelioma treatment. Ask an insurance company representative, hospital social worker or patient advocate for help understanding the following terms and what they mean for your situation.

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.

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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.”