You are here: Home Colorectal Cancer Post Treatment 0 ... Colorectal ... How To Plan Ahead "Just ...
Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

Colorectal Cancer: Post Treatment 0-6 Months: At Work: Stages 0,I

How To Plan Ahead "Just In Case"

Next » « Previous

2/3

To plan ahead “Just in case”: 

  • Do whatever you can to get or keep health insurance. (If you don't have health insurance with your current job, think about changing jobs to an employer who provides health insurance, such as the government. See: Changing Your Job Or Career
  • Each year you may be able to pick a new health insurance policy. Pick the best one from the point of view of a person with cancer. (Survivorship A to Z shows you how in our Cancer Health Plan Evaluator).
  • Take disability income insurance and long term care insurance if they are offered.
  • Take life insurance. Increase the death benefit on any policies you have. Even people with a health condition can usually do this once a year. In addition to providing for your heirs,  if you become ill you may be able to access money while you are alive. (See: New Uses Of Assets: A Living Benefit From Your Life Insurance
  • Start keeping a work journal containing facts that could have any bearing on a claim that you are being discriminated against at work because of your health condition "just in case." 
  • Learn how to maximize time off using your employer's benefits such as Sick Leave and your rights under laws such as the Family Medical Leave Act.
  • Sock as much money as you can into tax deferred savings accounts such as a 401(k) or a Health Savings Plan. (The document in "To Learn More" tells you how to maximize use of one of these accounts.)
  • Create an Emergency+Fund. The key is to put as much cash aside as you can in case of recurrence. 
  • While you are employed, you likely receive credit card offers in the mail. Consider taking the cards. Taking the cards is not the same as using them - except to the minimum extent needed to keep them in force. Credit will be valuable if your colorectal cancer returns or if another type of cancer appears.
  • Start planning at work in case you eventually have to leave work to go on disability. It doesn't take a lot of time - and will be invaluable "if".
  • Learn about the disability income sources to which you may be entitled.
    • Check benefits at work.
    • Look at the requirements for obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSDI is a benefit to which you are entitled because you paid premiums for it from every pay check. (Don’t ultimately apply without first reading about how to apply as an educated consumer that makes it more likely to get a "yes." Click here.
    • If you have health insurance through work, you will be entitled to continue it if you leave work under laws generally known as COBRA. (click here.)  Since you will have to pay the premium, start thinking about how to pay for the coverage in case you become unable to work and have to pay the premium yourself. If you won’t be able to afford the premium, and cannot be covered under a spouse's coverage, look to see if you can qualify for Medicaid.

Insurers think of disability as something that happens at a defined moment. In reality, you have some control over whether and when you will be considered to be disabled for purposes of an insurer's programs or insurance such as SSDI. To prepare "just in case": 

  • Each time you see your doctor, tell him or her about how your health condition affects your work. Ask the doctor to include this information in your medical record. This information will serve as a record that bolsters your eventual claim. It will also give your doctor a better understanding of how your life is being affected by your health condition.
  • Consider seeing a mental health therapist. In addition to helping during your transition, a diagnosis of a mental condition such as depression can be considered to be a disabling condition in and of itself. 

Please share how this information is useful to you. 0 Comments

 

Post a Comment Have something to add to this topic? Contact Us.

Characters remaining:

  • Allowed markup: <a> <i> <b> <em> <u> <s> <strong> <code> <pre> <p>
    All other tags will be stripped.