LITTLE RIVER, SC (WMBF) – As healthcare costs rise across the county, a Little River woman is questioning how she’ll pay for medication she may need for the rest of her life.
Delcenia Currence has been fighting breast cancer since 2024. Just a few weeks ahead of her 81st birthday, she was shocked when a printout from her insurance came with a hefty price tag.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can’t afford this,’” she said.
Currence told WMBF that in her two decades as a Humana client, she’s never been charged for generic medication. But at a recent appointment, she was billed more than $700 for a month’s worth of a generic pill that stops her cancer from spreading.
“It’s unbelievable. The pain … I feel abandoned, left alone, disappointed in the system,” Currence said.
Currence’s struggle with the rising costs of health care is not unique. Millions of Americans are struggling with rising costs, especially seniors on fixed incomes.
Programs like South Carolina’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program provide free help navigating the healthcare system for seniors who are on or want to benefit from Medicare or Medicaid.
Crystal Strong, with the SHIP program, said the program has resources to help.
“We have tools that we are afforded by ACL, Administration for Community Living, that allows us to navigate some other resources for them. We can go to socialsecurity.gov and apply for additional assistance to help pay for prescriptions if they’re eligible,” Strong said. “We can help them figure out the Medicare insurance … Medicaid.”
Medical centers may offer assistance
Medical centers may also offer assistance. Currence’s team at McLeod Health said their next steps might include grant applications.
“We work to see if the pharmacy has a financial assistance program … they’ll have something through the pharmacy, or they’ll have some things that are connected with the brand of the prescription,” said McLeod Seacoast’s Director of Oncology and Hematology, Nicole Spencer. “If those two resources are not available … then our next step is to see if there’s a grant.”
Spencer said McLeod often applies for Healthwell grants, a national grant disbursement group that manages dozens of “disease grants”, and said McLeod also has some charity assistance available.
Spencer and McLeod social worker Jennifer Meter both emphasized that anyone struggling to afford medical care should alert their provider, as their needs may not be known.
Currence said she is hopeful she will get her prescription and answers from her insurer.
“I never thought this would happen to me,” she said. “I just need help.”
WMBF emailed Humana on September 14 to inquire about Currence’s case. Humana had not responded at the time of publication.
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