Finances

If you are to be in a hospital or surgery center and you will not be using your insurance, you can negotiate with them. You can start by offering 60% of their fee and then settle on a 70% of their fee. You can also negotiate fees with your medical professionals. Many doctors will reduce their fees by 20% if you pay within the first 30 days and may discount their services more if you describe your plight. This info comes straight from docs, nurses, medical professionals, patients and more who I interviewed, and is in my new book, the Take-Charge Patient: How You Can Get The Best Medical Care(out 3/2012). Not trying to push my book but mention it so you know it is credible info.
Here are a couple of websites who help patients find affordable health insurance and free health care.
Patient Advocate Foundation http://www.patientadvocate.org/help4u.php
Coverage For All
http://www.coverageforall.org/
Foundation For Health Coverage Education
http://www.coverageforall.org/
Good luck! Martine

Medicare offers a hospice benefit and many employer or private health insurance plans also include hospice benefits, although coverage for services varies.

For more about hospice, see our article: http://www.cfah.org/hbns/preparedpatient/Vol4/Prepared-Patient-Vol4-Issue3.cfm