Chronic Illness: Even A Good Health Insurance Plan Isn’t Always Enough

Having the best quality health insurance plan you can afford is crucial when you start a family. Unfortunately, there are extenuating circumstances when even excellent health care can still leave you in danger of bankruptcy. Two-year-old Linden Elliott is suffering from mitochondrial disease, a rare condition that is costly to treat. His father’s employer-provided Aetna insurance covers 100% of medical expenses after initial co-payments. So how do they end up having to shell out over $25,000 a year on expenses?

It’s depressingly simple, according to MSNBC. By itself, each co-payment seems reasonable: $100 per ER visit, $250 per hospital stay, $100 for each surgical procedure. The only problem is that in an average month, Linden had to stay in the hospital once and visit the ER twice. On top of that, his parents have to cover the cost of his medication; their total monthly expenditure is about $2,000. In addition, Linden’s chronic disease requires that his family cross state lines for specialized treatment unavailable locally; their family health insurance plan doesn’t cover travel expenses.

The Elliotts continue to fight for their son’s health, but it comes at a steep financial cost. Despite an upper-middle-class income, their medical debt leaves them unable to pay for basic utilities, even with familial assistance. While Linden is doing well for now, such stress could have a negative impact on his health in the future. His parents will have to continue to pay for treatments, such as the insertion of breathing tubes, for the foreseeable future; possibly for his entire life. Healthcare reform might enforce limits that reduce the out-of-pocket costs for people with chronic illnesses by creating a larger pool of health insurance plan buyers (making each individual one less expensive), but those with these diseases can’t wait. Although most severe chronic diseases can’t be avoided, try to find out exactly how much your insurance company covers in claims. You’ll still have to struggle medically, but at least there will be less shock on the financial side of things.

(Image: MSNBC)