Getting answers to insurance-related questions

Questions about insurance coverage often come up during treatment. Here are some tips for dealing with insurance-related questions:

• Speak with the insurer or managed care provider's customer service department.
• Ask the cancer care team social worker for help.
• Talk with a hospital financial counselor.
• Talk with the consumer advocacy office of the government agency that oversees your insurance plan. (See the section "Who regulates insurance plans?")
• Learn about the insurance laws that protect the public. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a section entitled "Questions and Answers About Health Insurance." You can find this at www.ahrq.gov/consumer/insuranceqa.