24601NoMore
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2015
- Messages
- 1,166
Hey, everyone..looking for some friendly advice..
My sis (6 years younger than me) has always struggled financially (lives mostly paycheck to paycheck, little in savings, always has more bills than she can pay, etc) but often takes a very lackadaisical view when it comes to caring about what things cost. She also pretty much buys what she wants to buy, even though she doesn't make much - probably just a bit above $20/hr. This has all been a major annoyance to me for many years as I'm concerned about her future, but to make things worse..
She just got a cancer diagnosis on Sunday.
Knowing her the way I do, I suspected she probably has no idea whatsoever what she's covered for, not covered for, how to work within the rules of her healthcare plan, etc. And it turns that not only was I right, but I can't seem to get through to ANYONE including our Mom as to how important it's going to be to start caring about these things, lest she find herself at the wrong end of an unexpected medical bill that could be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars - which she would never be able to pay.
(A quick recent example - she needed to get an MRI. Did no research at all on cost to find a reasonably priced option. Basically went to the hospital her Dr recommended, which of course is likely to be THE most expensive place she could have gone. Probably will be $1,500+ she doesn't have. Yet, I had told her and Mom previously that I knew a place she could get it done for $300 that I had used previously. Sigh...)
I offered to figure out everything and help guide her through the part of the process (the financial, what the plan allows, etc) side of things that I know she doesn't like to worry about or do. Even took it upon myself to call her healthcare plan to get a copy of her docs - which I knew she had never read. Started trying to talk to family members about why it will be important to work within what the plan allows. Even told our Mom - "I know sister and that she won't want to deal with all this - I can handle it" and was basically told that "isn't her" and that she may just do whatever she wants, whether it's within plan or not.
I'm super concerned that she's going to do something that's going to result in a massive surprise medical bill - a bill she will never be able to pay. I told our Mom of my concern and asked who it was that would be bailing her out if that happened. I know that's selfish, but we worked our tails off to ER and are living on a pretty limited income with savings that are not infinite. It would frost me no end if she just continues the "I don't want to have to think about these types of things" approach and incurs some massive cost that either DW & me or Mom needs to write a huge check for to get her out of trouble - because there's no way she'd be able to pay a big surprise medical bill.
Anyone else ever run into a situation like this? I'm having a heck of a lot of anxiety as to what might happen, as I don't think I can get through to anyone without people getting really tweaked off (even moreso than they already are) at me..plus, and I totally get this - sister is more worried about survival and what she is going to have to go through than she is even a tiny bit about the financial aspects of all this.
My sis (6 years younger than me) has always struggled financially (lives mostly paycheck to paycheck, little in savings, always has more bills than she can pay, etc) but often takes a very lackadaisical view when it comes to caring about what things cost. She also pretty much buys what she wants to buy, even though she doesn't make much - probably just a bit above $20/hr. This has all been a major annoyance to me for many years as I'm concerned about her future, but to make things worse..
She just got a cancer diagnosis on Sunday.
Knowing her the way I do, I suspected she probably has no idea whatsoever what she's covered for, not covered for, how to work within the rules of her healthcare plan, etc. And it turns that not only was I right, but I can't seem to get through to ANYONE including our Mom as to how important it's going to be to start caring about these things, lest she find herself at the wrong end of an unexpected medical bill that could be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars - which she would never be able to pay.
(A quick recent example - she needed to get an MRI. Did no research at all on cost to find a reasonably priced option. Basically went to the hospital her Dr recommended, which of course is likely to be THE most expensive place she could have gone. Probably will be $1,500+ she doesn't have. Yet, I had told her and Mom previously that I knew a place she could get it done for $300 that I had used previously. Sigh...)
I offered to figure out everything and help guide her through the part of the process (the financial, what the plan allows, etc) side of things that I know she doesn't like to worry about or do. Even took it upon myself to call her healthcare plan to get a copy of her docs - which I knew she had never read. Started trying to talk to family members about why it will be important to work within what the plan allows. Even told our Mom - "I know sister and that she won't want to deal with all this - I can handle it" and was basically told that "isn't her" and that she may just do whatever she wants, whether it's within plan or not.
I'm super concerned that she's going to do something that's going to result in a massive surprise medical bill - a bill she will never be able to pay. I told our Mom of my concern and asked who it was that would be bailing her out if that happened. I know that's selfish, but we worked our tails off to ER and are living on a pretty limited income with savings that are not infinite. It would frost me no end if she just continues the "I don't want to have to think about these types of things" approach and incurs some massive cost that either DW & me or Mom needs to write a huge check for to get her out of trouble - because there's no way she'd be able to pay a big surprise medical bill.
Anyone else ever run into a situation like this? I'm having a heck of a lot of anxiety as to what might happen, as I don't think I can get through to anyone without people getting really tweaked off (even moreso than they already are) at me..plus, and I totally get this - sister is more worried about survival and what she is going to have to go through than she is even a tiny bit about the financial aspects of all this.