I need to see an ENT doctor soon, but the only appointment I could get through my HMO is for next April 1st. I need to see someone NOW! My hearing is getting worse!

Age: 43.
State: California. Los Angeles.
Estiamated gross (after the lost month and then severely reduced hours that couldn’t have happened at a worse time): $22000? I don’t know. Let’s go with “too poor to fish.”

Basically Blue Cross and Anthem both said, “You’re too poor to afford us. Go to Medi-Cal.” So I did, and updated my information to re enroll to reflect the drastic loss in pay and hours from my job. It says ‘pending,’ so of course, that could take forever.

If I go to an ENT doctor out of my network, but I’m too poor to pay the bill, but I NEED to see someone immediately to save my hearing, can I not pay the bill?

I suffered from a bilateral middle ear infection that kept me housebound and miserable for a month, resulting a month of lost income due to being unable to even force myself to work to pretend I’m fine. I’ve worked through pain before, but this… I couldn’t even fake it. And I tried. I couldn’t walk to the corner store and back without feeling like I was going to puke, and needing to lie down for an hour.

If I moved wrong, I’d be sick. I couldn’t focus on anything for long. I’m an audiobook narrator. It was so bad that I couldn’t audition for gigs to try to make money (I only started auditioning again last week. So far nothing). I was in so much misery that I couldn’t even play Microsoft Flight Simulator. I was going to start training to get my pilots license when this illness hit. My first flight lesson was cancelled. My entire savings, and then loans from family that I need to pay back went to paying bills, buying food, buying medication, and things I needed to help me recover and survive. I’ve maxed out my credit card. I’ve been trying to sell my stuff, but no one wants to buy anything. I need to have my roomate write up something so that I can claim hardship and pull from my brand new 401k that’s only 3 months old.

I’m down to less than $100 to my name, and rent is due in 9 days. That’s $1350 I have to pull out of my ass somehow.

The infection did something to my middle ears that’s left me with a constant high pitched buzzing sound, major itching from the fluid buildup behind my eardrums that drives me insane, and muffled hearing.

This is getting worse. I can’t wait for April 1st. That’s too far ahead.

I NEED my hearing!

I have no assets to speak of for them to seize. The only items of any worth I own are in my rock collection. So unless they want a bunch of crystals, I have nothing of value.

I’m legitimately in the poverty level.

My falling into financial ruin was a combination of work and health related events out of my control. I had to fight just to get more than 1 day of work this week. I got 3. I’m a waitress. I got 2 short shifts, and 1 regular shift.

I’m currently applying to other places for a second job. I’ve heard nothing back yet from any of them.

Believe it or not, I had most of my cards paid off, and I had a savings. I actually had the start of a future for once.

And then I got sick. I couldn’t work.

What will they do to me if I go get help to save my hearing and can’t pay the bill? I need my hearing to audition for audiobooks so I can make money.

I need this done NOW. I’d rather go to someone my insurance will cover, but I can’t wait that long. My hearing might be too damaged to recover by April 1st. I have no other options.

My choices are A) wait, suffer, and have to deal with a bigger issue that could permanently damage my hearing, or B) get help to save my hearing and stiff the bill.

I don’t want to do either of these options. What do I do?