Not just hospitalization: the financial impacts of a COVID-19 diagnosis

You made it. You fought the good fight and you won. Maybe there were times when you thought you wouldn’t.

But now you are recovering, regaining your strength, and looking forward to the future. In those days, weeks, and perhaps even months when you were fighting to survive, you undoubtedly dreamed of the day when you would be well again. 

Yet you probably never imagined that you’d be starting your post-COVID return to life like this: Saddled with medical debt that can easily reach into the tens, and even hundreds, of thousands of dollars — and no idea how to pay it.

It’s not just the massive hospital costs that COVID survivors are contending with, however. It’s also the probable loss of income coupled with the slow path to a full recovery.

The cost of care

Hospitalization, especially, hospitalization in intensive care, is obscenely expensive. That’s not a surprise. But perhaps what is a surprise is just how expensive it actually is.  For the sickest patients, such as those who required ventilator support, the out-of-pocket expenses can be astronomical. Just four days on a ventilator can result in a bill of nearly $90,000 on average.

But you don’t even hate to be that sick to face a medical bill millstone. Even a simple COVID-19 test can cost you as much as $600, and your health insurance might cover only a small portion of it, especially if you have a high-deductible plan. It may not even cover any of it at all. 

If you’re lucky enough to even have health insurance. And studies show that a significant proportion of the US population, particularly low-income and minority communities, do not.

But it’s not only the traditionally uninsured or underinsured who are at risk of the devastating financial impacts of COVID.

Many Illinoians, like millions of Americans nationwide, are facing job losses due to the long weeks of lockdown and the stark reality that many of the businesses that were shuttered in the spring may not reopen at all. That means that laid-off and furloughed employees may have lost not only their jobs but also their employer-sponsored health insurance.

The financial aftermath

The financial challenges of COVID, however, don’t end when you get out of the hospital. If you were ill enough to be hospitalized, chances are your recovery is going to be quite the process. The fact is that we simply don’t yet know enough about the virus to understand its effects, both short-term and long-term.

Research is increasingly suggesting, though, that COVID-19 has lingering effects on its survivors, impacting everything from memory and cognition to heart and lung function. Not only does that mean you’re probably going to require significant on-going medical care, at least for a while, but that it may also take some time for you to return to full-time work.

So you may be facing a perfect storm of mounting medical bills and a significant reduction of income. 

What can be done about medical debt

At first glance, the situation can seem dire. But you’re a survivor. You’ve beaten the virus. You’ve faced a frightful battle and come out the other side. The fact that you are here and breathing shows that where there is life, there is hope. Some steps can be taken to help you regain your financial wellbeing as you recover your physical health as well.

First, know that you are by no means the first or only person to face immense medical debt. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, medical debt was a significant issue for millions of Americans facing catastrophic illness and injury. 

And there is a way out. It begins with contacting your healthcare system and negotiating terms. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for medical debt forgiveness or significant reductions in the amount you owe. 

Best of all, legislators are currently working on several relief bills designed specifically to address the costs of COVID-related care. This may include forbearance or forgiveness options, or generous discounts and manageable repayment options.

As you’re working to regain your physical and financial footing, you should not only explore the debt relief options that are available to you, but you might also consider a career change. With the sweeping shift to telework, there have perhaps never been more or better opportunities to work from home. 

Many of these positions are part-time jobs that allow you to set your own schedule and work only as much as you choose.  While they may not offer benefits, such as health insurance, they can at least be a terrific option for making a bit of extra cash while still enabling you to focus on your physical recovery.

The takeaway

The financial fallout from a COVID-19 diagnosis can be frightening. But it doesn’t have to be devastating. The first step is not to panic. The second is to make a plan, explore your options, and take advantage of all the resources available to you. And the final step is to remember that your health and recovery come first. Remember that you are a survivor and that you will overcome this challenge just as you overcame the virus.