needinfo Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Hi! My name is Sonya.I am currently living in the middle of nowhere in Arizona . I came on this board looking for info or help on how to get diagnosed if I have no money,transportation, or insurance.I have been coughing for about 10 months to a year now ,have chest pain,and sometimes cough up blood but thought little of it thinking that it was caused by stomach acid in my throat and was a side effect of GERD which I was diagnosed with. In December I was in a car accident and they ran a CT scan for injuries and instead found something on my lung.I was told to follow up with a doc within three days.Problem, I have no money,no insurance and now no car.Where I live there are not even buses and I have no friends or family in the area.I am reading that catching this early is very important but I dont know how to get medical care without transportation, money, or insurance.Does anyone know about programs or methods of being diagnosed if you are poor and uninsured? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muriel Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 I responded to your question in the "Introduce Yourself" forum, but did have another thought. Can you get to an emergency room? See if you can get this to become their problem. They would put you in touch with the person in the hospital who deals with this kind of a problem. Muriel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needinfo Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 Just wanted to know a litle more about your idea on going to an emergency room.I dont have insurance and here in Az they do not have to see you unless your condition is life threatening ie your life is in immediate danger like bleeding or you are giving birth.What would I use as a life threatening emergency ? How could I get the hospital to give me a bronchoscopy to find out if what is in my lung is cancerous as part of routine ER services?Do people without insurance that have cancer even get diagnosed or do they just end up dying due to lack of detection and treatment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatlemike Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Have you applied for medicaid? I would go speak to them right away. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary colleen Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 You indicate in your initial post that you have chest pain. I would tell them that when you go in. I would also tell them that you are coughing blood. In addition, if you get to a hospital, ask for a social worker to talk to. They may be able to assist you with some of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazy Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hi Sonya! I replied to your original post in the "introduce yourself" section, as well. As I had said in my other post, this could be many other things than LC. We have ALOT of Valley Fever in AZ and it can cause similar symptoms. VF is certainly no picnic, and would also need to be treated/managed, but it is better than LC. Either way, you definitely need to see a doc and get this figured out. I live in Mesa, AZ. Where are you located? I will do my BEST to get you some help. PM me if you do not want to post where you live. My son works at Mayo, and I am pretty good at advocacy - given a chance. Yours in HOPE! Stacey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazy Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Sonya, this was also posted by a wonderful fellow Arizonan/LCSC member, "MaxL", in the "Introduce Yourself" forum. I am adding it here, in case you missed it. LOTS of valuable info here: Hi Sonya. I live in Glendale Arizona and have just gone through lung cancer treatment. Years ago my brother-in-law was in the same position as you, and he was able to get on a medical program here in Arizona called AHCCCS,ARIZONA HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT PROGRAM.Here is some information that I just found on GOOGLE. Below is the telephone number and once you contact them an AHCCCS eligibility specialist will review your application to find the program or programs that you and your family may qualify for. The eligibility specialist will send it to the right agency or AHCCCS department(s) which will decide your eligibility. You will receive a phone call or a letter if there is anything else you need to do or send. Most programs do not need a face-to-face interview if we can contact you by phone. You can get an application or get help filling it in between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call (602) 417-5010, then press 1, or call toll free 1-800-528-0142 then press 1. Where exactly do you live in Arizona? I really do want to add that now is a critical time for you to stay as positive as you can. I realize how difficult this is to do, but it really is important that you do so. Keep in touch with this site as this support group helped me get through the tight spots and will do so for you. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. _________________ Thanks Max!!! Hope you are recovering well!!! ~ Stacey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.