Dealing with a CIDP diagnosis is complex enough without the added stress of understanding your health insurance. Whether you are newly diagnosed or managing the condition for years, a solid understanding of your coverage is essential for accessing necessary treatments, which may include infusions or in-home care.
This overview breaks down the basics of health insurance to help you confidently navigate coverage for CIDP management.
1. Understanding the Two Main Types of Coverage
Health insurance plans generally fall into two broad categories:
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2. Key Terms for Private Insurance
When reviewing commercial or Marketplace plans, understanding these terms is crucial to calculate your true out-of-pocket costs:
- Premium: The fixed amount you pay for health insurance every month, regardless of whether you use medical services.
- Deductible: The amount you must pay for covered healthcare services before your insurance plan starts to pay its share.
- Co-pay (Co-payment): A fixed amount you pay for certain covered services, like a doctor’s visit or a prescription, after meeting your deductible (for most plans).
- Co-insurance: Your share of the costs of a covered service, calculated as a percentage (e.g., 20%) after you’ve paid your deductible.
- Network: The group of doctors, hospitals, and providers your insurance has contracted with (in-network). Using out-of-network providers often results in higher costs for you.
- Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The most you have to pay for covered services in a plan year. After you reach this limit, your health plan pays 100% of the cost for covered benefits.
Choosing a Private Plan with CIDP in Mind
When selecting a plan, consider:
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- Provider Network: Are your current healthcare team members, especially your neurologist and any specialists, covered as in-network providers?
- Actual Cost: Calculate the estimated annual cost by adding the annual premiums to the plan’s deductible to get a realistic idea of what you might spend before full coverage kicks in.
- Prescription Coverage: Check if your CIDP medications are covered under your medical benefits or a separate prescription benefit.
3. Quick Facts on Public Insurance
Medicare
Medicare is a federal program generally for people 65 and older, or younger people with certain disabilities. It has four main parts:
- Part A (Hospital Insurance): Helps cover inpatient care, hospice, and skilled nursing facilities.
- Part B (Medical Insurance): Helps cover provider services, outpatient care, and durable medical equipment.
- Part C (Medicare Advantage): Private plans that contract with Medicare to provide all Part A and Part B benefits, often including prescription coverage.
- Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage): Optional coverage to help pay for medications. Enrollment is required to receive any coverage for prescriptions under Medicare.
Medicaid
Medicaid is for certain low-income individuals and families. It is jointly funded by federal and state governments, meaning eligibility and coverage can vary significantly from state to state.
RELATED: CIDP: Your Frequently Asked Questions Answered
4. Navigating Enrollment and Cost Assistance
Enrollment Periods
Most private plans have an Open Enrollment period each year (often in the fall) when you can enroll or change plans. You may also be able to change plans outside of this window during a Special Enrollment Period due to major life events, such as changing jobs, getting married, or having a baby. Medicaid, however, allows enrollment at any time of year.
Seeking Financial Assistance
Beyond selecting a plan, you can seek help managing the costs of CIDP treatment:
- Patient Support Programs: Ask your doctor if you are eligible for any dedicated patient support programs offered by drug manufacturers.
- Prior Authorization & Cost Assistance: Your provider may be able to utilize assistance programs that help with navigating coverage requirements, such as prior authorization, and finding options for cost savings.
