Nightmare No 1: The insurance was declined!

Reason: Undeclared past medical procedure.

My mother had undergone hysterectomy way back in 1996. I was in middle school then. I had not recollection of these details. While purchasing the health cover, the insurance salesperson asked me to only get their signatures and that he’ll fill the forms. He did not ask any questions. Considering their age pre-medical tests were done and the policy approved. I wasn’t withholding any medical history - we didn’t know it was relevant.

Consequence: We had to clear the medical expenses of the hospitalisation out of pocket. I later submitted the bills for a reimbursement. That was declined too citing the same information. It was clearly the salesperson’s mistake. But it was my responsibility as well to check thoroughly all the fine print. I was asked to lodge complaint with the insurance ombudsman, which I couldn’t as we encountered the next nightmare.

Nightmare No 2: My mother was diagnosed with cancer! Stage 1

The word cancer which meant nothing but another disease until then gave us shivers down our spines when my mother was diagnosed with it. One of the X-rays that were done for the pneumonia showed up a foreign object around the lung area. The doctor prescribed further confirmatory tests and I remember the New Year’s Eve of 2015, decorated hospital lobbies, festive spirit in the air, my mother and I waiting at the medical screening centre hoping for a negative result.

The result was positive!

We were further advised tests and surgery. The priority was my mother’s health and not a legal battle with the insurance provider. We continued with the surgery without any insurance and paying out of pocket every bill the came along.

If you’ve come across anyone in your circles going through cancer treatment, you will know the procedure doesn’t stop with the surgery. I didn’t know this. It was now time for ‘cancer management’ as the renowned doctor who was treating her mentioned.

This was followed by four more hospitalisations for chemotherapy and one in between for some reactions and discomfort. Each time the cost was almost double the salary when I had quit my job. I wouldn’t have quit my job if I saw this coming.

That’s the funny part with insurances. You never think something like this can happen to you - unless it actually happens!

Nightmare No 3: It didn’t stop there!

My father who was about 75 then had some respiratory issues and needed treatment. Once he was discharged, we noticed something unusual about his left palm. It was turning grey and was complaining for a numbness or tingling feeling. He was re-admitted for observation. He was under pain killers. It was gangrene. This is the longest hospital admission I have ever seen - 32 days! In addition to my father’s pain and our family’s mental trauma, we had to bear the bill payments and other expenses that accompany a medical treatment. I could see the bank accounts; FD slowly disappear little by little.

What do you do in such situations? Having an insurance but unable to use it. No clear direction or support from the insurance provider or the insurance salesperson.

All of this happened in 12 months. We didn’t attempt to renew the insurance as it was useless. Also, it was too late to get into another insurance, with both my parents having major health complications. We decided to brave it through the little left-over savings, if need be.

The following year wasn’t that bad - it was only following up, with medical observation type of hospital admissions and largely limited to managing the diseases.

Nightmare No 4: The Relapse

The year ending for 2016, my mother now having both chemotherapy and follow up medicines completed got a relapse. [A relapse is a return to a former worse state, illness, or habit after a period of improvement or recovery. Source: Merriam Webster]

Breast Cancer it was.

An aggressive cancer is what the oncologist said. We had to attend to an immediate planned surgery at the hospital the oncologist chose. This time was a downward trend. I never saw my mother healthier again. This hospitalisation was followed by a series of radiation treatment. From what I can remember it was for almost the entire month. This was followed by chemotherapy at regular intervals of 3 weeks. A total of 17 sessions was recommended. It was a day care procedure not requiring a hospitalisation. However, the cost of a single session would surpass a 3 to 5 days hospital bill. The medicine used itself was expensive. There was no way I would weigh my mother’s well-being over the expense. But the truth was we now had a very slim bank balance. We pledged jewellery. Borrowed from gracious relatives (God Bless them). At one point my mother (and my father) were fed up of the medical treatments and procedures that had ripped the quality out of their lives. After about 7 or 8 sessions my mother requested to discontinue the treatment and left her health to chance. We had run out of options.

An after thought - the decision was probably based on the financial struggles we were facing to keep up with the never-ending hospital visits. I cannot but think of the salesperson who sold us an unusable health cover.