Waving Goodbye to Cancer’s Financial Burdens

Cancer knows no boundaries. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve been or what you’ve accomplished, this indifferent disease shows up like an unwelcome guest. Keith and Rebecca Clifton understand this all too well. Keith and Rebecca have been married for 40 years, have three children and 10 grandchildren, and work land that has been in Keith’s family for over 100 years. In December 2018 at age 60, Keith was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Unable to continue his farm work while undergoing treatment, Keith and Rebecca relied on their family and supportive Arkansas neighbors to keep them afloat. Keith and Rebecca had also prepared a comprehensive health care plan, which included a Platinum-marketed supplemental health insurance policy. This policy helps cover costs that come along with a diagnosis but aren’t covered by major medical insurance.

The couple answered a few questions about how their supplemental insurance policy’s benefits have relieved financial stress and positively impacted Keith’s journey with cancer.

Why did you decide to buy this policy?

Keith:
We just bought it as a precaution. If we were going to have a heart attack, cancer or stroke, this looked like something that we may need in the future.

Rebecca:
The rep that was here was telling us about the policy. What he said was that if you have a heart attack, all you have to do is call them [the insurance company] and tell them, and they’ll send you a check. Now, we knew it wasn’t going to be that simple, but that is what happened. After we had documentation, we did get the check.

What was the circumstance that caused you to use your Platinum-marketed insurance policy?

Keith:
Stage four colon cancer, and it moved to my liver and my lymph nodes.

Rebecca:
They [the doctors] saw a mass and wanted to do a test to see what it was on Dec. 18. After they did the colonoscopy, they came out and told us he had cancer”. They said they’d like to do the surgery the next day. They admitted him in the hospital and did his surgery on Dec. 19. We stayed in the hospital until Dec. 31. We filed the claim on Jan. 9, and we got the check on Feb. 8.

What is Keith’s treatment plan?

Rebecca:
They gave him 12 treatments of chemo every other week, and that started in February – as soon as he could get recovered from his surgery and withstand the chemo. And then the surgery. They took a third of his colon, 17 of his lymph nodes. Fourteen of those were cancerous, and the tissue around them was cancerous”. They did a PET scan after that, and there were still four spots on his liver, so they determined that he would need these treatments to take care of those.

The couple travels 60 miles round-trip for each chemotherapy treatment. They traveled this distance two to three times a week when Keith was initially released from the hospital, post-surgery.

What lifestyle changes did you experience during or after treatment?

Keith:
I’m not able to work. As I go, this chemo seems to get a little tougher on me every time. I’m trying to get out and do what I can, but there are not many days I’m able to do anything. I can’t lift. So, it’s changed in that way. I’m an outdoors person. I work outdoors, so work has really changed. I haven’t been able to do anything since December.

How did the money you received from your Platinum-marketed insurance policy help you?

Keith:
It’s been a lifesaver for us”. Electricity, vehicle payments, insurance payments, equipment, gas. It’s what we’ve lived off of.

Rebecca:
We were pleased with it. We needed the money. Medical costs were high, and nothing compared to what it could have been if we hadn’t had it.

Would you recommend this product to others?

Keith:
Don’t be stupid – buy it.

Rebecca:
You never know what’s going to happen, so you might as well purchase it. That way you’re ready for whatever comes your way. We didn’t expect to have to use our policy so soon, but we are sure glad we had it when the time came.

Platinum is honored to support fighters like Keith who shouldn’t have to worry about their finances while they focus on their health. Learn more about the financial relief a Platinum-marketed insurance policy can provide by reading more stories like Keith’s.

To discuss a new or current insurance policy, call Platinum’s friendly and knowledgeable customer service team at 1-855-637-6550.

Platinum is a marketer of supplemental health insurance products.

Policies have exclusions and limitations. For costs and complete details of coverage, contact Platinum Supplemental Insurance.