I Considered a "Medicaid Divorce" When Cancer Began Bankrupting Me

Excerpt from The Huffington Post: (click for entire article)

It's a common mistake almost everbody makes, the assumption that everything is going perfectly when your friend keeps a smile on their face. Often with me people assume I'm healthy because I've managed to care for my son by bringing him to and from school, playing with him in the afternoon, attending basketball games. But these moments reflect the best of my life. I have stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma. I've had 2 bone marrow transplants and I've lost two-thirds of my lung capacity because of treatment. I'm doing people a disservice if I'm leading you to believe that what I do, all the medications, surgeries, and therapies, and yes, the bills, is easy and I'm not crumbling inside.

I've never written about some of my most desperate places, until now. Soon after diagnosis 4 years ago, even though I was "fully insured" with health and disability insurance, we quickly realized how little the companies would actually cover. When I began to see how it could destroy both our financial lives, I tried to legally divorce my husband. In the U.S., the sick can't afford to remain married.

Being unmarried, I would be destitute and have the option of Medicaid. My husband would keep the assets. Our life wouldn't change. We'd remove a legal label. No hospital or insurance company could ever take our home. We could survive off my husband's credit with assistance from my parents.

Comments

[Janet Tillmore]

I admire Hillary. And I also admire men and women who do go through the process of "medicaid divorce" -- here is a good explanation of the topic: http://www.weinbergerlawgroup.com/Divorce-and-Separation/Medicaid-Divorce.html Here's the thing...I just don't think that excusing the broken health care system in this country is my moral responsibility. I watched my parents lose everything due to illness and won't let that happen to me, even if it means getting a divorce on paper.

[Patricia Dudek]

I am sorry to hear what happened to your parents! Thanks for the feedback.