Terminal Cancer

[NeedHelpInPA]

What is the name of your state? PA
My Aunt was told last week she has a very aggressive tumor in her near or possibly even growing from her liver. This just compounds things in my family because her sister, my mother passed away from lung cancer in April of this year. The concern I have and the concern she and my Uncle have is there medical bills. You see she has Cigna PPO which only covers 80% of all medical costs. She does not have a secondary insurance because she is not eligible for medicare until December when she turns 65.

My Aunt does not want what her and my Unlce have worked for and built all these years to be lost because of this illness. She wants to be sure that my Uncle will be able to manage at least financially when she is gone. My question is what are there options if any do they have? Is there a way she can get medicare now even though she is collecting social security. Would she be elligible for social security disability? Is she elligible for an emergency form of medicare?

They are even going as far as contemplating getting a divorce(on paper only) to try and help alleviate this matter. Would this be an outside option?

Remember the overall concern is that my Aunt does not want to burden my Uncle with overwhelming debt when she is gone. Please help! Thank you in advance.

[Shay-Pari'e]

You are asking a legal forum how to commit fraud?

[NeedHelpInPA]

Apparently you have not read have everything, because I am asking what if any are their options? I merely said that getting a divorce was one thing they were contemplating. If you do not know what their all their options are you do not need to reply, they need help, not criticism.

You can't blame them for being worried, no one asks for this. Having to worry about money is last thing that my Aunt should be concerning herself with right now.

[garrula lingua]

In 1999 I was diagnosed with terminal (stage IV) cancer; my biggest concern was protecting my husband.

I wanted to file a legal separation, or divorce, to protect him from any repercussions.

He freaked, that I would abandon him and consider him so shallow.

Watch out for your Uncle's response. I didn't do it - it would have hurt my husband more, at that time.

I fully intend to legally separate, or divorce my husband, if I get a recurrence. I do believe I will die from cancer; I believe my life has been prolonged, not 'saved'.

I am intent on divorcing him if my aggressive cancer returns. The one catch is you can't live with the person after you've divorced under these conditions, it can be considered fraud. I would change my residency, or his, when I knew I was terminal.

As an aside, my husband gets upset when I tell him " if I am terminal, drag me out to the car to die; I don't want to die in our house, as it will affect the resale value (in Calif you have to disclose, for 3 years, that someone died in the house)". If I were one of a happy newly-married couple, I wouldn't buy a house where someone recently died. My husband always says "That's pure Garrula, drag her to the nearest Motel 6 when she's about to die. (My husband is a loving, sensitive, honorable person; I am an attorney (haha)).

I had my Maritwal Settlement Agreement papers done, before I was admitted to City of Hope. My best friends knew to get his signature if things were extremely bad. I have, since, worked diligently, in convincing him to divorce me if I am terminal - THAT IS MY FINAL WISH.

(While at City of Hope for three months as an in-patient for two bone marrow transplants, I met more people who were in financial throes due to cancer. My heart went out to the families who were devastated by the imminent loss of a loved one, and who were also covering the financial horrors from the patient. I did my bills. I knew what the financial loss was; as soon as it was dire, I would have divorced my husband who I love more than life.

PM me. I'll help you as much as I can.

[NeedHelpInPA]

Thank You ver much, Your help is greatly appreciated.