Even people who have health insurance need to do some financial planning at this time. But no one should ever automatically assume that first-rate care is not available just because money is a problem. If you are covered by an individual or group health insurance plan, you need to find out exactly what your plan will pay for. Some plans will cover only standard types of treatment and will not pay costs associated with investigational therapies. Most plans have upper limits on what they will pay toward treatment for a given health problem on an annual or lifetime basis.
Plans pay different percentages of the cost of various services.
You should investigate your plan carefully and talk with a claims representative to clear up gray areas. You will also want to look into your disability benefits for income maintenance. Before you call your insurance company, however, it's best to talk with your doctor or a hospital financial representative. Medical personnel are often better equipped than you are to deal with insurance staff and to ask the right questions about coverage. Also, they can help guide you if you find you need to dispute a denied claim.