No iNsuraNce? Try sTaTe prograMs: are covered by Medicare, according to Ko-
For lower-income adults with no children roscik. Part A covers hospital care, hospice
and no insurance, BadgerCare Plus Core is care and care in Medicare-certified nursing
a “wonderful” option, says Welker. It costs facilities. Part B pays for medically necessary
#1
just $60 per year. Adults of any income level services, such as physician’s services, diag-
who have been denied insurance can ap- nostic tests, some home medical equipment
Wisconsin
ply for the Health Insurance Risk Sharing and transportation by ambulance. Part D is
Thermage
™

Plan. Wisconsin also offers a Well Woman for prescriptions. Visit medicare.gov.
Provider
Medicaid Program for cervical and breast geT TreaTed by THe V.a.: Veterans and
cancer patients. their dependents can get help through the
Schedule
uNdersTaNd your TreaTMeNT plaN: Veterans Health Administration Cancer
Your Free
Ask your doctor what type and frequency Program. Visit va.gov/cancer.
Consultation
of treatments to expect, and find out from look To fouNdaTioNs: Organizations
Today!
the billing department what your treatment such as the Lymphoma Research Founda-
will cost. tion, National Brain Tumor Society and
Thermage
™
tummy tightening · wrinkles
“There are people in my department and Deanna Favre Hope Foundation for breast
central billing who can help patients get cancer may help with out-of-pocket costs.
non surgical facelift, necklift and eyelift · acne
their hands around the cost of treatment,”
cellulite · body contouring · Fraxel
®
· facials
WaTcH your budgeT: Reduce other
Straseski says. “We can identify ways to de- costs at home wherever you can. You might
rosacea · sun damage · facial veins · leg veins
fray those costs if at all possible.” qualify for assistance programs that help pay
chemical peels · acne scarring · skin tags
Make coNTacT: If you are insured for transportation to the clinic or for energy

through your employer, ask your HR de- to heat your home.

500j ApggA\^`Oc`mh\b`
™

partment to spell out your deductibles, use free or loW-cosT serVices:
co-payments, co-insurance and other out- Some community health clinics offer free
jm

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K\^f\b`
of-pocket costs before your first treatment. or sliding-scale fees for medical or den-
Contact your insurance company to verify tal care. Wal-Mart has a $4 generic pre-
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99
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¢
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what your policy does and does not cover. scription program. Milwaukee County
*Please mention this ad at the time of service. Limited time offer only.
Ask to see a financial counselor or social has a prescription card with a 20 percent
Results may vary. Multiple treatments may be necessary.
worker at your hospital. Discuss what your discount, while the state offers a discount
insurance will and will not cover. Ask for prescription card at wisconsindrugcard.
Fraxel
®
: Treats fines lines, acne scars,
resources and tips. Some hospitals offer “pa- com. The Partnership for Prescription As-
stretch marks & pigmentation
tient navigators” to help you move through sistance at pparx.org and rxhope.com both
the health care system. “They’re there to deal help with medication costs.
Before
After
with any situation that comes up,” Straseski coNsider iNVesTigaTioNal THera-
says. “They’re kind of like a concierge.” pies: “While not everyone is an appropriate
use your Medicare: Medicare cur- candidate,” Koroscik says, “clinical trials of-
rently spends more than $2.5 billion on fer cutting-edge investigational treatments
Thermage
™
Body Contouring Treatment
cancer drugs, according to the New York that cover most costs.”
Times. Perhaps half of all oncology patients cHeck THe Web: The Internet can help
you quickly identify organizations that may
Before
After
One Patient at a time
be able to help. A good place to start is the
National Cancer Institute at cancer.gov/
A testiculAr cAncer patient at Au-
cancertopics/support. Scroll down to the “Fi-
rora St. Luke’s Medical Center was trying nances, Insurance” section.
Thermage
™
+ Fraxel
®
– The Ultimate
to get private insurance, but his diagnosis
CancerCare, a national nonprofit, pro-
Non-surgical, No Downtime Facelift
3 Months After T
was considered a pre-existing condition
vides financial help, as does its Co-Payment
that wouldn’t be covered for six months.
Before
Assistance Foundation. Visit cancercare.org
The patient was eligible for Aurora’s
Helping Hand program, which forgave
and cancercarecopay.org. The Cancer Finan-
reatment
100 percent of treatment costs for three
cial Assistance Program, cancerfac.org, is an
months, and he was eligible to apply for
information clearinghouse.
another three months of Helping Hand or The American Society of Clinical Oncol-
Aurora’s catastrophic financial plan. ogy and cancer.net have produced a booklet,
“It was a big relief for the patient and
“Managing the Cost of Cancer Care.” Get a
his family,” says Amy Welker, oncology
PDF at cancer.net/managingcostofcare.
www.estetikaskin.com
financial counselor at St. Luke’s. “They
Oncology Alliance, oncologyalliance.com,
were worried about refinancing their home
Call: (262)240-0655
and coming up with the money for treat-
lists some local resources. Click on “Patient
11649 N. Port Washington Rd · Mequon, WI
ment, but [with Helping Hand] they could
Support” and then “Social Services” to learn
concentrate on the treatment and on the
about financial services, insurance plans and
Gail Coleman at Estetika is Wisconsin’s Only
patient getting better.” ✚ help with medication costs. ✚
Thermage
™
Black Diamond Award Winner!
milwaukeemagazine.com ‹ HealthMatters 2010 ‹ Milwaukee Magazine ‹ 29
1109_HM_Managing Cost.indd 29 9/22/09 8:55:01 AM
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