I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Aflac. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
Illness is something we never like to think about and something we generally do not talk about unless it happens. Unfortunately, illness struck our family in many unexpected ways that blindsided us last year. For this reason, I believe it is best for others to educate themselves about the possibility of medical emergencies and illnesses. Just because they haven't happened doesn't mean they won't in the future. Why not educate yourself about the costs and possibilities? This way you are already prepared if the situation arises. If I had done this, I believe everything would have been much less stressful for our family.
My son Liam has been diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis for about two years and every 6 months we get MRIs to track the growth of his brain tumors. Until last August, they had stayed the same size, but all of a sudden they started growing. The doctor's wanted to take action immediately. So, on top of the expenses of 3 doctors, MRIs and travel expenses, we added on his port placement operation and chemotherapy every single week. It was a complete life change for our family and one that hit the bank much more than expected. We read that medical debt is the leading cause for bankruptcy, so we wanted to take action immediately to prepare for any future costs.
Luckily, Aflac has something called the Real Cost Calculator, which helps people prepare for their own financial future in case of an unexpected illness or medical emergency. Yes, our insurance luckily covers a great deal of our costs, but we also have to factor in out of pocket expenses as well as our monthly household costs. All of these add up very quickly and the Real Cost Calculator has helped tremendously with our budget planning. Plus, it is very easy to use.
As of now, we have Aflac insurance and have been so happy with our coverage and with the service they have provided. In fact, my son gets his chemotherapy at the Aflac Cancer Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta! So, we are not only thankful for Aflac, but appreciative of all they do for customers. The calculator is just one of many things they have done for us. For once I actually feel empowered by my insurance because I am covered well and have been educated on what to expect cost-wise.
Have you taken a look at the Aflac Real Cost Calculator? I was just playing around with it tonight and was amazed at some of the prices to be expected. For example, a family with a child who has leukemia can expect an estimated $62,910 in medical expenses based on previous Aflac payouts in the past with about $9,700 out of pocket payments. Although Liam does not have leukemia, his treatment is very similar, so this really hits home. The calculator also estimates household expenses, which end up being around $8,963. I love that the calculator not only estimates the medical and out of pocket expenses, but also takes other bills into account. These are often overlooked and this has caused us to underestimate expenses in the past, which has lead to overspending. Fortunately, this does not happen any longer!
Take a look at the Aflac Real Cost Calculator, come back and let me know something you learned. I'm sure you will be amazed at how much information is provided! Take it from me, it is best to research and be prepared for your family and yourself.
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Aflac. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
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