How Can I Afford to be Chronically Ill?

How can I afford to be chronically ill? I have no idea. Now that we're in debt from my medical bills in 2025, I'm working on the best way to pay them off. Because of my surgery and care of my ankle (Talus bone) that has Avascular Necrosis, the bills piled up.

I had appointments for almost one year to diagnose and treat this bone problem. There are not many ways to fix AVN. Surgical methods that were used on me are fairly new and don't have any way to know if the surgery will work long term.

I was told that they don't even know if it will work for the short term. I had a 3D-printed Talus bone created and placed where my dead Talus bone was. This was very expensive! With 9 months of tests and appointments before the surgery and two months after, the costs were growing like crazy.

Paying many of the costs out-of-pocket caused our debt to grow significantly. When the deductible finally kicked in, we had to move to another state. Since my insurance is through the marketplace, I had to start a new policy, which meant a new deductible.

The only good part was that the premium was much lower. I'll enjoy that until January of 2026, when the costs will grow to a huge price. Thankfully, if we can pay all the bills I will be able to purchase Medicare in about a year and a half. Hubby has medicare and it isn't cheap. His policies (with supplementals) cost almost as much as my private insurance.

I never want to meet my deductible, because that means that my chronic illnesses are causing me a lot of trouble. At least when I meet the deductible, some of my bills will be covered.

There are many ways to pay medical bills. Because we can pay the bill gradually, I always enroll in the payback plan for the hospital. Because it's part of a research university, most of my doctors are there. So, I can add the doctor visits into the payback plan.

These plans don't charge interest. I just have to pay an amount each month, and that amount is larger as the bill grows. It was manageable at first, but when I added the surgery it was rough. The monthly amount is high.

If I can't pay it back in the future, I would look into a debt settlement company. They take all your debt and work with you to lower the total. They work with you to pay the bill at a gradual pace that you can afford.

Getting a loan could work, but that comes with more interest to pay. Declaring bankruptcy is a final resort, and I hope that I never get to the point of selecting this method.

*Preventing big bills is helpful if you don't get sick, right? Of course, chronic illness is forever. I do look for ways to save money. Generic drugs, generic OTC medicines, savings cards (goodrx), and manufacturers coupons are all ways to help.

*Generic drugs are the ones covered under my insurance. Generic OTC medicines and creams are just as good when I need things for my skin or cold medicines, etc.

GoodRX is just one of the many savings cards. I love this, because I can go online and see which drug store in my town has the best price. That has saved me and my family a ton of money over the years.

*We also joined the Kroger RX savings club years ago, which helped tremendously on the price of medications. This has been continued. Walmart has a Mail Order Pharmacy with free shipping. This program doesn't work with insurance. I am a Walmart+ member, which allows me to get free home delivery when I place a grocery order.

*When the drug company offers a discount program, I get a very expensive medication for much less. Doctors have handed me these many times over the years. I use Restasis, which costs a ton. With their discount program, I'm able to afford these much-needed eye drops.

Hubby is a cancer patient and was enrolled in a huge savings program. His doctor provided the information to help us afford his medicine. Always ask your doctor if there is a cheaper version or a discount program when you need an expensive drug.

I still can't really afford to be living with a lot of chronic illnesses. But, these ideas have helped my wallet. What methods of saving on medications have helped you? I'm always looking for new ideas.

@2025, copyright Lisa Ehrman

Disclaimer: I'm not a medical expert. This post contains my opinions and experiences and is not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your personal physician.