This Covid-19 Side Effect Could Destroy Your Financial Security
When you think about side effects of Covid-19, you might think of lingering fatigue or body aches. Many people recovering from the virus have experienced neurologic symptoms or cardiac effects. And scientists keep learning about the effects. But one Covid-19 side effect may be especially harmful: the costs!
Getting treatment for Covid-19 might have a horribly negative impact on your wallet. Whether you wind up in the emergency room or staying in the hospital, especially if you need to be transported by ambulance to the hospital, you may pay dearly in the form of medical bills.
The good news is that this Covid-19 side effect may be avoidable. It is, at least, partially controllable. In fact, there are very specific, easy, no cost ways to avoid or control it.
We’ve heard nightmare stories about bills for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars arriving after a Covid-19 hospitalization. As if it’s not difficult enough to recover, right? The length of stay, the sheer numbers of professionals involved in care, the equipment used, and many more factors lead to higher and higher bills.
You might survive the virus only to end up losing every penny you have. Scary thought.
A couple of alternatives:
Get help to fight unaffordable medical bills
Don’t even think about trying to manage them on your own.
Call in a professional. A medical billing patient advocate knows how to find the charges that shouldn’t be there, and how to negotiate for the rest. Financial advocates are listed in our national directory of patient advocates. The beauty of medical billing experts is that they don’t need to be located near you. They can work from anywhere and get the job done remotely.
Try to avoid those sky-high medical bills in the first place
None of us is bullet-proof. As we have learned, we can be any age, in any location, and catch Covid-19. If we aren’t careful we will infect others.
But there are ways to lesson your chances of getting Covid-19. People who get vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19 are not only less likely to get infected, they’re less likely to be hospitalized if they do catch it.
Especially if you’re high risk because of your age or a health condition, take extra precautions, such as:
- Wear a mask when you’re in public spaces, especially indoors
- Avoid risky situations, such as indoor dining or crowded events where you may not be able to mask
- If you test positive, contact your doctor right away to see if Paxlovid might be an appropriate treatment for you
It’s not just YOUR health that can be affected by Covid-19. If you get sick, you might spread the virus to family, friends, and anyone you come in close contact with. So make wise choices for yourself and for them.
And remember, it’s not just your health you need to worry about, it’s also your wallet. Protect your health and your financial security, too.
The lives you save, and the life savings you protect, will be worth the precautions you take.
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