Is talking about money just too taboo? Why in the young adult cancer world do I never ever hear anyone talking about medical debt? It’s a crying shame because we’ve got plenty of it and it seems that a bit of conversation and education is in order. Consider these factoids:
* More than 35% of all young adults have problems with medical bills including getting calls from collections agencies, paying off medical debt, or having to seriously alter their life to accommodate for medical expenses.
* Out of every age group in the United States, 18-34 year olds have the most medical debt.
Given these statistics, it seems likely that the numbers are even higher for young cancer survivors because we are racking up mega medical bills.
I’m going to make a series of blog posts about how to avoid and resolve medical debt, information about credit card usage for cancer patients, and where to get good credit counseling.
But before I dive into these issues, I wanted to pass on a suggestion from Joanna Morales, legal guru at the Cancer Legal Resources Center. She says: Sometimes medical debt is the result of other unresolved medical issues such as unemployment due to discrimination or other issues around disability. How can you get out of debt if you don’t look at the root of the problem? Brilliant idea. Contact the Cancer Legal Resource Center (866-THE-CLRC). They are amazing and will help you brainstorm around the factors that are contributing to your medical debt.
Do you or have you ever had medical debt? How often do you think about it and what impact does it make on your life? Does it change any of the decisions you make about your care? Is this something you discuss with friends, in cancer support groups, or talk about online? If not, why not?
“Everything Changes is, without doubt, the most forthright, emotionally sophisticated, and plain-old valuable book of its kind I've seen.”
