A few months ago I went in for my annual MRI, and this year my neurologist ordered the triple – brain, cervical and thoracic images – because I hadn’t done a MRI of my spine in three years. A few days after my tests, I got a letter from my health insurance company (private insurance) that said they had denied coverage of the two spinal MRIs. My bills were over $18,000 for the procedures! Seeing that in print was so stressful.
I was lucky because I knew I needed to reach out to my neurologist to have them send a letter on my behalf, and I also drew up a letter to ask for those test to be covered. A month or so later, my first insurance response came back that they’d denied the request…and meanwhile the bill notices seemed like they were coming rapidly. I finally did get the appeal corrected and insurance to pay for it, but I will admit I was panicked.
My story is not unique – living with MS is expensive even with health insurance – in fact, the average cost of living with MS in the United States is over $88,000 a year. Navigating the ins and outs of health insurance is also tricky – but, know you are not alone and there are definitely resources to help you.
If you get caught in a cycle of back and forth with medical debt, the National MS Society may be able to help. The MS Navigator program connects people with MS with resources and support to help with medical debt. The MS Society also has a partnership with the Patient Advocate Foundation which supported over 1300 people living with MS and provided over $1.1 million in medical debt relief since 2024.
And, if you get caught up in the stress of medical debt or living with MS, please find a way to release and curb stress. My weekly QiGong classes are a great way to bust stress. Hope to see you soon!