Have you ever known anyone who was diagnosed with cancer? You may understand, more than most, the emotional and financial toll this can take on a person. People sometimes don’t realize the protection they create today, helps tremendously with the financial detriment of a cancer diagnosis tomorrow. George’s story is a real-life experience that highlights the impact that protective cancer coverage can make on the journey to treatment and recovery.
The real-life story of George
George received a cancer diagnosis and fortunately had supplemental insurance coverage for cancer, which he signed up for years prior and had forgotten. He states, “When they first diagnosed me with cancer and set me up with radiation treatment. They were talking about getting me ready for surgery. I asked my sister to come down and help me get some of my paperwork in order to get things straight before the surgery. She was going through some of my papers and found a policy renewal from my insurance carrier sitting on my desk.”
She picked it up and said, “Do you realize you have a cancer policy?”
I said, “No, I did not. I didn't even know that I had cancer coverage when all of this started. We called Bryan on Saturday morning just to leave a message for him to call on Monday. I was surprised he called me back that same afternoon. By Monday, we had all the information that we needed for him to begin submitting the claims. If it hadn't been for him, I probably still would be paying for something that I wasn’t getting anything from. Bryan stepped up to the plate and told us what to get. My sister did the footwork, while I was doing radiation. And then we submitted the claims. Bryan went above and beyond by helping us to get the filings completed.”
Meet Bryan Comeaux, George's new agent
Bryan states, “I took over George’s account when I became the broker at the company he worked for. He ended up getting diagnosed with cancer years later. When he called me on a Saturday, he needed to understand how the policy worked and how to file a claim.”
Bryan shares, “George had an old out-of-state phone number. Like most people, I usually let those go to voicemail, especially on the weekends. I felt compelled to answer it that day. I had the time. When the phone rang, I thought, let me just see. Maybe it is important. Well, it ended up being important. I was glad to take the call. I shared with them what they needed to do to file the claim, and if they wanted me to do it for them, all they had to do was send it to me. They gathered all the paperwork together and sent it to me. I filed the claim for him on Monday and George got paid. Those types of insurance plans pay the client directly from the insurance carrier. When he was paid, he was able to pay his bills. George has received benefits from this policy for 4 years now.”
George continues to share, “They paid me back to the first day that I started medical treatment and paid for all of my treatments. It really helped because, at that point in time, I was on radiation and finances were tight. It really helped me catch up on credit card bills. When I couldn't work as much, my paycheck was short, and the payouts for the cancer treatments helped cover those bills. Even today we rely on Bryan often, especially when the claims are missing information. I call him and he finds the problem and fixes it. Working with him has been awesome. He consistently goes above and beyond for us!”
How supplemental indemnity plans work:
Bryan reports: “Supplemental insurance policies are designed to help pay bills. They don't take the place of your primary health insurance. They help to cover out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles. This is important - especially when dealing with an illness like cancer. The out-of-pocket costs of procedures, chemo, radiation, or surgery can add up to a lot.
Not to mention that the monthly bills still have to get paid - the rent, mortgage, utilities, etc.
In George’s case, he receives a check from his insurance company and can use that money for whatever he wants. If he wants to use it for his out-of-pocket medical expenses, he can. If he needs to take off work for a month and needs to pay his rent, he can use the money for that as well.
This policy has paid George for years. He gathers all of his medical records about every 3 months. Then we'll send it in and he’ll receive a check for whatever it adds up to. We keep doing this as long as he is being treated - and he keeps getting paid. We use reputable insurance companies and this type of insurance is not expensive. That cancer policy, for an individual, is around $40 a month. Also, there are supplemental insurance plans that cover other conditions like injuries, heart attack, or stroke.”