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Jennifer Case
Jennifer
Jennifer is a 36-year-old working mother of two young girls. She works as a seasonal limited-term employee at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, monitoring water quality in field wells. After finding a lump in her breast, Jennifer was diagnosed one week ago with Stage II breast cancer. Surgery is scheduled at Stoughton Memorial Hospital, a community hospital, one week from today.
Jennifer was divorced two years ago and is uninsured. Her former husband purchases health insurance coverage for himself and the children through his employer. She has placed roughly $8,000 on her credit card to cover diagnostic visits. She now must choose among therapy options, and the potential costs of surgery and treatment weigh heavily on her.
"I'm caught between a rock and a really hard place," Jennifer says. "My little girls need a Mom, and I have to do this treatment. But I feel like I'm going to be paying for it the rest of my life." Jennifer wonders what other people in her situation have done to afford the treatment. She is still baffled by her diagnosis, and she wonders what is at stake.
According to the ACS Navigator who referred her to the Center, she is losing a lot of sleep at night, feeling very alone, and feels as though she is not being a good parent. She told the Navigator, "I got the house when my grandma died, and it's the only thing I have. I don't want to lose my girls' home."
- What are some of Jennifer's financial and insurance coverage options?
- As a medical provider, what would you say to Jennifer?
- Who else might be able to help Jennifer identify a course of action with regard to her financial situation?
