Husband diagnosed with COPD...?

He is 37, had never smoked a day in his life and was diagnosed with it in March of this year after a biopsy. The drs have told us that he has had it for at least the last 5 years. They are giving him an estimated time of another 2-5 years before we lose him. We go to Houston this wednesday to talk to the transplant dr. He is on home oxygen all the time and coughs. Yesterday he coughed and says that it feels like he might have broken a rib. He is on disability but because of the amount, it kicked him off of SSI and medicaid and there is a 2 year waiting period for medicare. Any suggestions for how to pay for medical costs when we barely have enough to support us and the 5 kids in our yours, mine and ours situation?
Additional Details
Right now, we are in the process of trying to get the dr to send papers to a lawyer that we know so that we can get started on the legal side of it. About the time that he got sick, he had been working for a mobile home manufacturing plant. The dr has been able to determine that because of the sheet rock dust and fiber glass particles, he got sick. Seems like all we are doing is waiting.

Tina W	There is Medicaid available, at least in the united states. I'm not sure of your income, but with 5 kids, I am almost sure you'd qualify, and even if not, you could fall into the 'medically needy' category, or 'medical emergency' medicaid. It may not cover everything, or your husband may not fit requirements to stay on long term, but it could drastically reduce your out of pocket expense. Even if it is temporary, it will help. You should go to the nearest health department and ask how to apply. They should be able to point you in the right direction, and most times the offices are grouped together with the health department. Also, if he is going to have to go onto disabilty because of his condition, he could qualify for early Medicare. you could find out about this from the health department as well. Good luck, and I'll keep your family in my prayers! Also, let me tell you, do not give up!! Seek a second opinion. Obviously I cannot say for sure what your husband's situation is, but my grandpa lived for 15 years with COPD, and with all the new meidcations, treatments, and other medical technologies, COPD is NOT an automatic death sentence these days. Be thourough, and if you do not like what one doc says, you do not have to accept it as so.. second opinions are very, very common these days and sometimes very necessary. Seek all the knowledge you can get, your doctor should be willing to spend as much time with you as you need to get your questions answered, and make sure that your husband understands his conditions and all the steps he must take to keep him healthy. If his doctor does not seem willing to do this, find another doctor. Again good luck and God bless.

christie	in our town - you call 211 which is first call for help (through the United Way). Try calling the United Way and they will give you all the information you need to get the medical attention you need without sacrificing the food on your table.

Sophiesmom	Wow, sorry :( ...SSI is supplemental income, has he applied for social security disability or is that were him getting disability from? I can not believe they wouldn't give him Medical or Medicare, he obviously needs medical care and this is to me an emergency...And i would find a good Lawyer, this sucks and you guys need help...I wish you all luck, i hope they can figure something out...I have a sister who is terminal, we don't know how long she has to live, maybe a year, I'm thankful we were able to get medical coverage for her and we got her on SS but we to had to hire a Lawyer for her...

Sexy dude	maybe he can sue the employer for the damage, they should provide him the proper protection gear for work

Barry M	Here are a couple of things to consider. First, if the doctors say his disease is work related, then this should be a workers compensation issue. It may be a good idea to get an attorney and pursue a workers compensation claim with his former employer. His employer may have failed to provide him adequate protection from the fumes and fibers he was exposed to (OSHA should get involved). If this could be deemed a job-related illness, then they would have to pay for his medical expenses and offer a settlement for the permanent disability. I don't know a lot about COPD, but since I have pulmonary fibrosis, I do know that the fine people at the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation have patient advocates who will help you find resources to help with your situation. They help with expenses, medical equipment, etc. Perhaps COPD has an organization with the same type of help. I can also tell you that when I became disabled, I received Social Security Disability income in addition to the disability payment I receive from my disability insurance policy I had at work (UNUM Provident). Social Security does not count that disability payment from UNUM as income, so I get monthly checks from both entities. I did have to wait the full 2 years for Medicare benefits, but that law is currently being challenged in both the House and Senate. Call your Congressman from your district and both of your Senators and tell them to support that legislation. The potential bill waves the 2 year waiting period for people with a terminal lung disease. I am sorry you have to go through this. Don't give up. There is help available, but you will have to search to find it. Since I have been through this process, let me know if I can be of further help. Good luck to your husband, you and your children.

mlwoj	COPD is not always from smoking. Sometimes it's from work environments, hazardous materials or the job itslef. I wonder what your husband did for a living and if this impacted his health. If so, you may have a legal avenue if it's job or environmentally related. Good luck!!