[Robert]

It seems crazy for me not to have health insurance. You would think I would know better, right? I mean, after all, I just finished college, I have a business degree, and I just got a job. But, I just can't afford health insurance right now. You see, I had just started my last year of college when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. I had student health insurance then, and it paid for all of my medical tests and all of my treatment. Now that I'm out of school, I am not eligible for the student health insurance or my family's insurance. The company I work for is too small to offer insurance to me or the other 15 employees. My cancer history popped up as a "pre-existing condition" when I tried to get private insurance and I was turned down. I found another company that would offer me coverage, but just paying for the insurance would cost almost my entire salary. I did well after I finished treatment and I wanted to put my cancer behind me. But my doctor made it clear that I should have regular medical check-ups for the rest of my life. At first, my doctor wanted me to come in for a check-up every 3 months. Then, she asked me to come back every 6 months. Eventually, I would only need to have a check-up once a year. At each check-up, I had tests that showed that there was no more cancer, and each time the doctors seemed happy that I was doing so well. But, I was always worried about how I would pay for these check-ups. I thought about canceling my next appointment. I asked the nurse if she was sure I really needed to keep coming to these appointments. After all, I am O.K., right? But, the truth is, I was embarrassed about not having insurance. I felt like people would think I was just irresponsible or careless. But, the nurse helped me talk to the doctor about this - and then went with me to talk to the social worker and finance counselor at the clinic. I was relieved to find out that the cancer doctor is willing to see me for my follow-up appointments even though I don't have insurance. The counselor encouraged me to keep looking for insurance that I could afford, and the social worker offered to help me look. The social worker warned me to expect that I would probably not be able to be insured for cancer, but that I should still try to get insurance for accidents and other illnesses. And, I do hope to have a family someday, and I know that getting a family insurance plan will be important. Plus, there is always the chance I will move to another state and need to find new doctors - and then I'll need to explore ways to keep getting my follow-up care.

[Narrator]

Linda reminds us that finding ways to pay for care is a long-term process for cancer survivors.

[Social Worker]
 
Many cancer survivors face the problem of finding and getting good, consistent follow-up care. With many cancers, there is a chance that the disease will come back, or "recur." Other medical problems, or even another form of cancer, could develop. It is important that cancer survivors make sure to tell all health-care team members about their cancer history and the kind of treatment that they have received. This way, if the cancer does come back, it will be found early. With early detection, the right kind of treatment can be started quickly, and hopefully cut down on the chance of more problems. Other treatment-related health problems could be discovered early too and treated right away so that they don't become more serious. 

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