If you have health insurance, the first thing you need to do is call the customer service number that is usually on the back of your insurance card and find out what your insurance covers. You particularly want to know if you need to use preferred providers to get the full coverage. For example, if your insurance is a health maintenance organization (HMO) or a preferred provider organization (PPO), there may be certain rules that apply to get the most out of your health care benefits. Some insurers pay at a 100 percent rate when you use their preferred providers and give you the option of going out of their network at a reduced rate of coverage. A customer service representative at your insurance provider can help you figure out which doctors are in your network.

Health care has evolved into a tightly controlled managed care process in which the insurer may manage your cancer treatment by reviewing hospital-stay days and high-cost drug treatments. Coverage varies for medical treatment and where the place of coverage will be. If you are in a hospital setting, there are case managers who will assist you in finding out what your insurance coverage is and what to expect for coverage. A case manager is often an advocate for you, who works with the health care team and the insurance company to meet your needs. Too often, you may find your health insurance does not cover all your expenses and you may find yourself incurring expenses that you did not expect.

Breast cancer treatment has a high cost associated with it, including chemotherapy, drugs, radiation treatments, prosthesis, and reconstructive surgery. You may find yourself paying out of pocket for some of your treatment. It is not uncommon to reach the maximum deductible of your insurance coverage, so it is wise for you to find out up-front what that will be. Many hospitals and breast cancer centers have financial support people that you can speak with about insurance coverage and what you will be responsible for financially.

All insurance companies have customer relations personnel who can help you with your individual policy coverage and are available to answer questions about your coverage. Case managers are available through your insurer and can assist you in choosing preferred providers in your HMO or PPO network to get full coverage. They can also tell you how to make choices that comply with their requirements of notification and prior approval, so as not to jeopardize your benefits. Once you have breast cancer, it can be difficult to get health insurance on your own, depending on which state you live in. Health insurance through your employer can be extended under COBRA laws for eighteen months after you are not working, but even then the premiums are often steep for individuals who are not working but are incurring high medical costs.

If You Don't Have Health Insurance

If you have no health insurance, you may want to speak with your doctor or the hospital where you are being treated. Depending on your financial status, you may be eligible for state- or government-funded health insurance. Most major hospitals also have free-care applications that you may be eligible for. You can ask to speak with a social worker or financial representative at the hospital to make arrangements for payment. Many cancer patients who need financial support are eligible for government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. To be eligible for Medicare benefits, you need to be disabled from work for three years. Medicaid is also available, but has many restrictions associated with it and often breast cancer patients who are younger and still able to work find themselves not meeting Medicaid's strict financial criteria, but still struggling to make ends meet. If you find yourself in this situation, ask to speak to a social worker at the breast cancer center where you are receiving services. She can give you advice and help you apply for financial aid for your health care coverage or help you to find out if there are any grants available to help you.

Medicaid is a health insurance program financed and run jointly by the federal and state governments for low-income people who do not have the money to pay for health care. Each state has its own guidelines and it is state administered. To find out if you are eligible for Medicaid, go to the Medicaid office in your state to learn about income eligibility and coverage.