They beat cancer. Then they got hit with massive bills

When most people think about cancer, they imagine the physical toll that it takes: weeks of chemo or radiation treatment, or multiple surgeries and visits to various specialists.

What often gets lost in the shuffle are the financial ramifications. Because whether you survive cancer or not, the diagnosis is often an express ticket to Bankruptcy-ville. In fact, about 25% of cancer patients either lose their homes to foreclosure or go bankrupt.

Lynn Reublinger, a school teacher with metastatic breast cancer, has a spouse who helps cover the bills that come with her treatment. But she knows if she were single, life would look very different.

“I have a lot of friends online and they are in that situation, and usually they have to have a GoFundMe to help them,” she said.

Finding the right doctor, choosing a treatment plan and deciding which type of surgery are among the first thoughts after a cancer diagnosis.

Unfortunately, any of those options can impact your ability to work. And even if you’re able to keep your job under the Family and Medical Leave Act, you may wind up needing to take an unpaid leave of absence.

Surviving cancer can leave you with lifelong problems that can hinder your ability to work. A survey found that only about half of cancer survivors work full-time. Even those who have been cancer-free for years still report working less and taking more sick days than those who were never diagnosed.

And since about 45% of those diagnosed with cancer are of working age, there’s a huge group of cancer patients whose working years are heavily impacted.

Cancer survivor Mollie Kallen says a caregiver is often needed to help patients through treatment, surgeries and doctor visits.

Reublinger says when she needs to travel for treatment, her husband has to take time off work to take her.

“If the roles were reversed, it would be a real problem for me,” she said.

While some types of treatment are covered under health insurance plans, more experimental drugs or treatments are often excluded. Some prescriptions can cost thousands of dollars per month, leading some patients to fundraise online — or worse, go without.

Kallen, cancer survivor and upcoming author of “It’s Not About Me — How To Be Your Own Advocate Through Cancer,” estimates that her cancer journey has cost her about $10,000. Luckily, she says, she had good insurance that covered much of her care, including the three months she needed round-the-clock care after a bone marrow transplant.

Kallen knows that her experience was out of the ordinary and that most people can easily spend that much in just a single year of cancer treatment. The biggest determining factor of cost? What kind of insurance coverage you have.

“The bottom line is that people don’t know what their insurance is until they have to use it,” Kallen said.

Kallen says one of the biggest things people may not realize is that if you can’t work because of your cancer, you will have to either pay for COBRA or buy private insurance. Depending on your family’s finances, you may also qualify for Medicaid. And if you were the insurance-holder for your family, that can also impact your finances.

In Kallen’s case, COBRA cost about $3,000 a month, an amount that is out of reach for many families.

Many people don’t realize that even if your cancer is in remission, you may still have cancer-related expenses. This might include medications or treatments to prevent the cancer from recurring. You may also need imaging, bloodwork or other procedures on a regular basis.

“They definitely go down, but the costs are still there,” Kallen said.

If you end up partially or completely disabled after your diagnosis, your future earnings will take a dive. This can cause a huge ripple, affecting how much you can save for retirement.

Reublinger, who hosts the “It’s the Company We Keep” podcast, says her cancer affects her every day. She’s had to take a leave of absence since she can no longer stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. Many of the extra treatments and services that help her feel better — various supplements, massage and acupuncture — aren’t fully covered by insurance.

“There are so many things that are so good for you that cost a lot of money,” she said. “I’m at the point where I’m trying to look at my finances to find more money for these integrative services because they really do help.”