Friends of Sharon Miyaguchi Harvey

Why We Need Help...

"This is my Mom. She has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and cannot afford medical insurance. She has been given 6 months to live without treatment. With treatment she could potentially live another 5 years. Weekly treatments are approximately $3500 per week.

She is not of age to receive Medicare. I have called everyone and spent literally days on the phone. Medicaid has now denied her coverage saying she makes too much money. Even though she lives on Social Security alone.

Laws are different in Hawaii than in the Mainland (continental US). Medicaid in Hawaii declined her stating that she makes $300 more than the state required maximum income for eligibility. Her fixed income from Social Security is $1,500 per month. Once rent and utilities are paid there is nothing left over. (living expenses are extremely high on an island - even in rural Hawaii!)

We have considered moving her to CA where I live, but by the time we were to relocate her here, start the application process, obtain approvals, get new tests from her new doctors, it would be too late because her cancer is fast growing.

I was told by the US patient advocacy that if she had a different type of cancer they would help her fight but because it is lung cancer they are too busy to help her. Breast and cervical cancer take precedence. It's quite frustrating. "
- Jennifer Harvey Poms

Friends of Sharon Miyaguchi Harvey

Friday, July 20, 2012

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