Battling Debt After Beating Cancer: How Filing For Bankruptcy Can Help You Through A Major Medical Ordeal

Beating cancer, or even just surviving it for any length of time, is an amazing feat. Following such a draining battle, you shouldn't be burdened by the debt associated with your medical care. Unfortunately, the financial cost of taking on cancer is staggering, even if you have insurance. Don't let debt dampen your ability to enjoy the life you've fought so hard for; talk to a bankruptcy lawyer, instead.

Why Cancer Creates Debt

Even with health insurance, you've likely been forced to cover deductibles, co-payments, and maybe even coinsurance, and that really adds up fast, particularly with a disease like cancer. You need to see so many specialists, travel all over the place to reach them, and in the meantime, probably can't keep working. 

As if fighting a deadly disease isn't enough, racking up so much debt adds unbearable stress and strain, which can further compromise your health. 

How Filing For Bankruptcy Can Set You Free

While you may not look forward to filing for bankruptcy itself, you will look forward to the staggering debt being discharged. Forget any self-doubt that accompanies bankruptcy and focus on how it can help you sort out your finances and focus on healing. Ask a bankruptcy attorney if you qualify to file under Chapter 7, which would dissolve your debt with hardly any strings attached. With your income dramatically reduced or eliminated entirely, due to the cancer treatments, you should be eligible to file quickly and with relative ease.

Under Chapter 7, you're not required to repay any debt; however, if you have assets and/or income, Chapter 13, under which you would repay debt on a schedule tailored to your circumstances, might be the better option. Considering all the bills, follow-up medical appointments and other complications you're dealing with now, it's probably best to hand your financial life over to a bankruptcy lawyer and let them sort it out for you. Without the burden of that mountain of debt, you can focus on what matters most to you now.

What The Future May Hold After Filing

Whether your battle with cancer is over or not, you'll still need some type of health insurance moving forward, but filing for bankruptcy can significantly affect your position. You may qualify for Medicaid and/or other government programs. Talk these important matters over with your attorney, leaving no stone unturned. Once your insurance is settled, you can hopefully turn your attention to healing physically and emotionally, along with rebuilding your life, only without that dark cloud of debt hanging over you.

Nobody battling an unforgiving disease such as cancer should be forced into debt, but it's an all too frequent occurrence. Don't feel shame over your situation and don't struggle with those bill collectors alone. Filing for bankruptcy is a legitimate and viable path, especially after all you've been through. For more information, reach out to law firms like Phoenix Law.