full image - Repost: Tumor on MRI but switching from Cigna to Kaiser on September 1st (from Reddit.com, Tumor on MRI but switching from Cigna to Kaiser on September 1st)
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Hello all, I am looking for some advice for my situation. I am a teacher in the Bay Area in CA and recently switched jobs from a charter school to a district school. In March, I developed back pain following an athletic injury. Shortly after, I signed a contract with my new employer and elected for Kaiser HMO, because the cost is 100% covered by the employer, so it would be free for me. With my previous employer, I had Cigna OAPIN which is an HMO-lookalike plan, set to end on July 1st. Zero deductible, low co-pays.The back pain continued. Getting in with the specialists took a long time, as did getting in with physical therapy, partly because I got Covid and everything had to be rescheduled. After I saw a specialist for the first time in June, I considered waiting to continue treatment till my Kaiser insurance kicks in on September 1st, so I didn't have to start treatment with one set of doctors then switch to another, and so that I wouldn't have to pay for COBRA in July and August.Unfortunately, the pain worsened and I was completely unable to sit down for about two weeks. I decided to keep my appointment with a physiatrist and do physical therapy with Cigna network doctors, and it seemed that the treatment would be mostly complete by September 1st when I would switch to Kaiser. My COBRA payment is $911/month. I worked over the summer to help cover it.The pain progressed throughout the month of July and I developed numbness in my leg. I had an MRI this past week expecting a herniated disc, but instead they found a rare tumor called an Aneurysmal Bone Cyst that grows quickly but isn't necessarily cancerous. I'll discuss with my doctors this week, but it seems likely that I will need biopsy to confirm that it's not cancer, and I will need complex surgery to resect the tumor, and possibly additional treatments to prevent it from recurring. Such a treatment course spans several months to two years.I am meeting with my doctors on August 11th to discuss a treatment plan, and obviously insurance is relevant to what this will look like. From what I understand, my options are to keep paying the COBRA fee or to switch treatment over to Kaiser. I am concerned about the implications for continuity of care if I were to switch to Kaiser, and also because this is a rare condition, switching to Kaiser means I can't be treated at orthopedic oncological research centers like Stanford or UCSF, where they have the most expertise in this type of tumor. On the other hand, the COBRA premium is almost a quarter of my after-tax income and it will be tough to handle financially, and I've had a lot of stress coordinating between different doctors and insurance already in this process. If I end up having to miss work for an extended period due to surgery, the financial stress will be even more pronounced. I also don't know which one will be slower: potentially getting referred to another new specialist under Cigna or starting over with Kaiser.Are there other options for me in this situation? Any advice for changing insurance during treatment of a complex medical condition?
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