Many people assume that if they have little income or no health insurance, they have no reason to speak with a financial planner. In fact, financial planners routinely provide guidance to people in these circumstances, and an increasing number of them now specialize in counseling people with a chronic illness or disability. Ask an MS Navigator® at 1-800-344-4867 about a financial planning program in your area. And getting good tax advice can be critically important to those hoping to maximize their allowable medical deductions (for amounts above 7.5% of adjusted gross income), as well as those on disability insurance.
To learn more about navigating the health care system when health insurance or finances are a problem, and to get tips on managing medical debt, see the materials produced by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute in collaboration with the National Endowment for Financial Education, available at www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/managing-medical-bills/.
- Researching your health insurance options
- Medicaid and other public health insurance options
- Prescription drug help
- Finding low or no-cost care