Insurance lost, now concentrators will be taken away.
Since my last 3.4% increase to my SSDisability, I was told I make $35.00 to much to have the state funded health insurance. So now Apria wants to charge me $480.00 a month for the large and portable concentrators. That $35 doesn’t cover it, nor cover medical and hospital visits. On a fixed income as is, any increase hurts somewhere, be it cut in food (already as cheap as it gets, how I long for a delicious meal), or a cut in meds. This Wednesday they will come and get both concentrators. If they only leave the portable, they STILL will charge the $480.00. I am at a loss. My anxiety is through the roof. I don’t know what to do. I already feel like ending it all due to the severe pain I have from disintegrating ribs from lung cancer. Not able to get my breathing under control may be the last straw. Any help is appreciated.
I’m afraid I can’t offer you any help but I am so sorry for the financial distress. Have you been able to discuss this with a medical professional? I’m not sure how much help they could provide but, if you need oxygen to breathe, there should be a solution. Have you looked into buying a home concentrator? I got one as a spare to keep at my sons home. I paid about 500$ for it. I know that’s not a drop in the bucket but it’s just a one time charge not 480$ a month.
I hope something works out for you. Please keep us posted, Becky (moderator)Hi Becky, thanks for the info. I finally bought a concentrator but had to cancel my order. A helper at my oncologist’s office got the state to reinstate my insurance. Hard to believe how it is to live without insurance. Thanks for letting us know that you were able to get your insurance reinstated, that is fantastic news. I really can’t imagine not having insurance. I am sorry you were put in that situation. My best to you, Becky (moderator)
Hi
. Please call your doctor's office as soon as possible along with your county's social services office and your local office of the aging. Explain the situation and ask if they can help. The American Lung Association also provides links for programs for financial assistance. Here is the article: https://www.lung.org/help-support/financial-assistance-programs. If you can, get a friend or family member to help you with all this. Self-advocacy can be exhausting and confusing. Having someone else keep records of your calls and emails might be useful. Let us know how it goes. We're here for you. - Lori (Team Member) I am so glad to hear that,
. I hope you never run into a situation like this again. Warmly, Lori (Team Member) 
This is such a relief! We were worried about you. It stinks that these situations often take a third party to resolve, but I'm really glad you were able to get the help you needed. Not sure how it is in your state, but in mind you are required to fill out renewal paperwork for state insurance each year. Make sure you know the rules in your area to make sure you stay covered. All the best! -Melissa, team member
Hi
, I hear how stressful and overwhelming this time has been for you and I hope you have some time to review the responses from our other team members but I also wanted to chime in. While we aren't professional counselors, we do have some additional resources that you might find helpful: https://copd.net/mental-health/coping-general-resources. We also have a sister site for those contending with Lung Cancer that might be able to offer you more support and resources for what you're dealing with in terms of your pain from lung cancer. You can find that site here: LungCancer.net. We are here to offer you any support we can. Wishing you a peaceful day. All the best, Sam S. (COPD team). Hi Sam,
I found their info, along with your info, to be very helpful. Thank you so very much. Joe.
