When Your Health Insurance Won't Pay: What Will You Do?

A harsh reality has set in that some may not be aware of. Regardless of your health condition, your insurance may not pay when you need it.

There is a situation going on that involves a 81 year old lady who has been hospitalized for the past month due to a severe infection in her colon. The infection caused her kidneys to shut down and after several attempts to start dialysis - her physician said that there was nothing that could be done.

After spending a few weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, she was moved into a Pallative Care Suite (or otherwise known as the 'Death Suite') so her family could be near. She slowly got worse - obtaining large bed sores (some over a foot in length) and entering a unconscious state.

The doctors stated that she would never gain her kidney function back and it would only be a matter of time before she passed. The stated time was between 2-3 days.

Her family stayed near and after 2 weeks went by, the lady started gaining kidney function. The doctors was amazed. It appeared that she was recovering.

The doctors and her family had a meeting to look over what could be done to help her in the recovery process and set a plan of action. However, the plan would not be able to be carried out.

The same day, the hospital advisors informed the family that the lady would be released within 24 hours regardless of her medical condition. The reason? Her insurance said "Time's Up!".

How could her time be up when she has fought so hard to recover? What other options is there?

The insurance company is not a private firm but a government agency that many rely on. The company? Medicaid.

According to the company, you are only allowed a certain amount of days in the hospital regardless of your condition. Same thing goes for nursing home and home health care.

Elderly and those with low income depend on the government to stand behind them as they have stood behind the government by paying taxes.

Regardless of what insurance you have for your family, consider what you will do if you or a family member is in need of medical attention but your insurance company says that your time is up. It could happen to anyone - as the story above hits home for me. The lady is my grandmother.