I know nothing about her resources, but I know that if you don't work, you don't have access to "affordable" health insurance. And even then some of the caps on health insurance for a life time cost can be $1 million. After that... well I don't know what happens.

I can only thank G-d that I am not facing that. And pray that me or my family never do.

Reading the GFM page and Broadway World, it seems she needs round the clock care now and insurance doesn't pay for that, nor does it pay for all of the meds & treatments.

BW said her GFM page was quietly sent to members of Screen Actor's Guild, and I'm assuming others found out.

I have no problem with it, she's lucky so many people with money can help. I don't see Valerie having a future in acting, and dealing with cancer for ten years probably drained their finances.

Valerie Harper is one of my all-time favorites. I LOVED The Mary Tyler Moore Show and also enjoyed her on Rhoda. As far as her finances go and her need for financial help, I've no idea.

I don't intent to hijack this post, honestly, but I don't understand "... if you don't work, you don't have access to "affordable" health insurance". I'm retired, not Medicare eligible (or Medicaid, whichever it is that one can get at 65) because of my age, and I DO have access to affordable health insurance. Isn't that what the "Affordable Health Care Act" (aka Obamacare) is? Sorry for this question - - - I know the thread is about Valerie Harper.

Suzieque, I was in the same boat before I reached 65 and Medicare eligible. I was retired for 9-10 years before I could get Medicare and I had individual insurance from different companies, none of which cost more than about $250/month. I had the insurance from the Affordable Health Care Act for about half that time. I feel fortunate in that it seems that health insurance costs seem to have become crazy high in the past few years and I was on Medicare by then.

I thought the people from the older shows didn't get the residuals like they do now. If you ever listen to the listed assets of some of the celebrities when they die, it sounds like many have fame, but no money. Her disease has probably taken most of the money she did have.

I, too, have been retired for years, am not old enough for medicare, and have a good individual private policy, I select my doctors, and the premiums are under $500 per month.

I have not heard about Valerie Harper in several years; is she seeking unorthodox treatment?

I do not know anything about them, but there are medical cost sharing groups, which are NOT insurance and not subject to insurance regulations. Medishare is one of them that has been around a long time.

Perhaps this is an option to look into for some people.

Valerie Harper seemed to be grateful for her extended life after her initial prognosis. I have no doubt she has used this time quite wisely.

It may not be that she needs help to pay for her care but her family wants what she has left. She is 79 and eligible for Medicare and if she lacks money there is Medicaid. I know that is very harsh but cancer treatments if she is still receiving them are much too expensive for a GoFundMe drive. If she is truly indigent I think there is still a Screen Actors home she could go to if they have openings.

Pretty sure the third show was called "Valerie's Family" then she had a falling out with the powers that be and was replaced. I wonder if that set her back financially. Her initial diagnosis I remember was dire--and I think it was more like 20 years ago. I am amazed she is still around.

Debby, as I understand it, your provincial healthcare system doesn't cover "everything" a patient might need. They don't even cover prescription drugs, isn't that true? The programs we have don't always cover "everything" either.

The segment of Americans that do have pretty good healthcare coverage are those over age 65, which would include Valerie Harper. What i found briefly said that money was needed to provide in-home personal attendant care 24/7. Of course that's not covered, although institutional care coverage may be available. Does your system cover the cost of personal attendants 24/7?

That is so sad. I don't know that medicaid would cover 24 hour care. Long term care insurance can. But many people opt out of that because apparently policies have changed so much in recent years and the cost can be outrageous. When my grandmother was ill, we first had caregivers round the clock, although there were times family members would stay with her instead of paid care (my mom was also sick at this time), but still, it was very expensive. When we learned my mom was terminal, my sister and I made the decision to move my grandmother to assisted living/memory care and that was less expensive than what we were paying for caregivers 24/7. I don't know how long Valerie has had cancer, I have read a few articles over the years regarding her illness, but certain treatments may not be covered by insurance.

Insurance was one reason I kept working (recently retired) but I had enough years in my position to keep my insurance until I'm eligible for medicare/medicaid. I'm not "retirement age". My husband owns his own business and is covered on my insurance. Even though my insurance went up a bit as a "retiree", it is very affordable. I realize how fortunate we are because insurance costs can be unbelieveable! I have a realtor friend (self-employed) who makes great money. Her husband is retired (on disability) and has a heart condition. They are both 60-ish. She continues to work strictly to pay for their insurance costs where are absolutely crazy.

Please pardon my statement:

"if you don't work, you don't have access to "affordable" health insurance"

It is not applicable for her. I forgot that Ms. Harper was nearly 80 and eligible for Medicaid/Medicare.

Suzieque--

Those that are not eligible by age or situation, cannot always afford "Affordable" health care. For example, my neighbor is a home daycare provider. (very small business) Health insurance costs for her are 10K per year under the affordable health care act, and her deductible is just as high.

It is not my intention to hi-jack this thread either.

People who don't work and who haven't accumulated a large nest egg don't have access to most of the things in life that others need/require/enjoy that have to be paid for. Health insurance is one of dozens of things like that. There is a safety net of coverage in most states (state Medicaid and federally funded clinics) for people who are at the very lowest economic rungs or destitute. Otherwise, am I missing something?

According to the comments on the article, she's worth $12M. And her husband is a producer, so why can't he afford any of the treatments, home-care etc?

Canada's health care isn't universal, each province has their own coverage. What I have covered here in Ont, may not necessarily be covered in AB. Even when traveling in our own country it's advised to get medical insurance if we don't have it thru work.

Hubby's cancer surgeries were covered, of course but his follow-up treatments when the cancer re-emerged were not........except for the radiation and the last treatment. It was aggressive, a monthly injection of radium. It was tailored for his blood type, white blood cells etc, and was flown in from Amsterdam. It was $5,000 each, and the province covered just 6 treatments, no more.

His oral chemo wasn't covered, $3700/mth. His bone-strengthening injections were not covered, $1500/month, his hormone therapy injections were not covered, $1500, yet they were all administered at the hospital or in the doctor's office. IF he were 65, everything would have been covered, but he wasn't.

Thankfully, thankfully we didn't have to pay......in some cases the drug company covered the cost for 1 year, in other cases the dr appealed to the province to cover us as we didn't have medical coverage thru a work, etc. But I know others that aren't as lucky, they've had to pay tens of thousands out of pocket, one friend has credit cards maxed, people DO sell their investments, homes etc just to cover the cost of treatment, contrary to popular belief.

Thanks for the enlightenment, jasdip.

I was reluctant to mention my first thoughts about this situation but since you've broken the ice.....

I'm sure Ms Harper made more money in her career than most people have the opportunity to do. If she didn't have the sense or advisors who had the sense to help her save and invest for post-career needs, that's too bad but it's also a consequence she needs to bear on her own.

I find most GoFundMe appeals offensive. Modest drives for people in dire need- okay. People who have had misfortunes they can't afford- okay. But high earning individuals or others otherwise capable who are victims of their own bad or irresponsible decisions? No. sorry.

Medicaid will step in after you used up all your own personal resources. If a person is worth 12 million or 12 thousand then they can not get medicaid until it is used up. It sounds like to me they want their cake and eat it too.

Jasdip, thank you for sharing your real life experience with health insurance in Ontario, Canada with such clarity. I am happy for you that the doctors advocated for you successfully and the drug companies kicked in too. Here in the US, my friends and family members who have faced catastrophic illnesses have been fully covered by Medicare and supplemental health insurance or if they were not old enough for Medicare their health insurance alone was effective. They had no or minimal out of pocket expenses. Some have insurance from employers or Medicare supplemental plans.

I have a special connection to Valerue Harper. I always enjoyed her acting.

When she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, so was I. Hers was cancerous, mine benign.

I was thrilled when she went into remission.

I just learned about this news here. I imagine her friends want to help and decided to set up the fund.

"Medicaid will step in after you used up all your own personal resources. "

Medicaid qualification and benefits vary from state to state and can be quite different from one to another. The little I know of Medicaid in California from the experiences of an in-law relative is quite different from what you've said.

Besides Medicaid varying from state to state it also varies if you are a spouse or single. For spouses look up the federal spousal impoverishment rules. Everyone should be aware of the Medicaid guidelines in your state if you think your or someone you care for might need it within the next 6 years. There are things that you can not do the fifth year and later.

everyone seems to have their hand out these days. Be careful, many are scams.

Be careful, many are scams.

My thoughts exactly.

From the GFM page:

“This GoFundMe initiative from Tony, is to ensure she receives the best care possible.... The funds raised will initially be transferred to my bank account once a week and electronically wired to Valerie Harper and Tony Cacciotti's bank account with a documented report of amount of funds raised, GoFundMe fees and transfer fee (if applicable). Thank you so much for your love, support and understanding -- Deanna”

This “Deanna” woman doesn’t even give her last name; she’s just “Deanna B.” Another red flag is the photos used.

This discussion has morphed into an insurance discussion (or the lack of) but the article I read said she was getting "unconventional treatments", it seems she is doing treatments that are unproven or not considered effective enough for insurance to pay. I don't fault her for trying it, nor do I fault insurance companies who refuse to pay for such treatments.

I'm also tired of all the Go Fund Me requests. I'm sure many are scams. Is this one? Seems her DH is honest, he wants other people to pay for her care, I don't want to pay for it, if others do that is their choice.

Agree with c marlin. For me, it's not so much the risk of scams but rather people being too quick to stick their hands out for things they ought to pay for themselves. It's always easier to get others to do what you need to do yourself.

My high performance car is 3 years old already, I'd like a new model. I'm a pensioner living on a fixed income and I'd need help with the monthly payments. I think I'll put up a GoFundMe appeal.

My high performance car is 3 years old already, I'd like a new model. I'm a pensioner living on a fixed income and I'd need help with the monthly payments. I think I'll put up a GoFundMe appeal.

Apples and oranges

I assume she did off label and experimental treatments to extend her life. These are often not at all applicable to deductibles nor covered outright by insurance.

Elmer, although treatment done at doctor visits, hospital visits and surgeries (except cosmetic treatments/surgeries) are free in Canada, you're correct that our (at least in Ontario) health care does not typically pay for prescription medication for adults between the ages of 25 and 65, unless they have certain requirements. But all children under the age of 25 who are not covered under any private insurance are eligible for free prescription medication, including things such as Asthma meds/inhalers, EpiPens, Allergy shots, some Diabetic needs, etc.

After graduating, my youngest DS worked at a company that didn't offer any Health Benefits, and he couldn't afford to pay for his own private insurance. Thankfully, for a year and a half, any medications he needed were 100% covered by our province, without any deductible or co-payment. When he found a better job within 18 months that had medication coverage, of course he no longer needed to benefit from our province's free coverage.

In Ontario, most medications are very affordable once you reach age 65, because the maximum payment (if the senior's total yearly income is above $19,300) is a $100 yearly deductible for all prescriptions required each year, and then a few dollars co-payment for each prescription. DH is 65, so he pays his $100 yearly deductible, and a $3 co-payment for his Thyroid prescription. His EpiPen and yearly allergy shots are 100% covered.

DH's father earns below $19,300, so has almost free medications with NO deductible, and only pays $1.17 for his prescription co-payments. He had a triple By-Pass operation and paid nothing for the surgery, hospital stay, or medications in hospital. The only charge he received was for the ambulance transportation going to the ER. It's only partially covered by our provincial health care, so there is a $45 fee.

If the precise medication one takes is not on the list for coverage, or they only offer the generic brand, and you find the generic brand gives you side effects/doesn't work as well, your doctor fills out a form and writes 'No substitutes' on your prescription. The pharmacist will then fill it for the brand name medication, still for the same low co-payment (or totally free if you're under 25 with no drug coverage.) Of course many generic medications work just as well, but if not, it's not a problem to get the original drug

For the most part, I love our Universal Health Care. My family members and friends have never experienced a delay in treatment for any emergency. There will be a wait for non emergency specialist appointments/procedures, but I've never waited more than a month. Granted, I live in a huge city with many hospitals and physicians, so I know that wait times will differ elsewhere.

The one major problem here is that Ontario health care only covers the cost for cancer meds/therapy if you get your treatment done in a hospital. So for those who live too far from a cancer treatment hospital, their doctor will prescribe chemotherapy pills/injections that can be taken at home. But of course, it is extremely financially debilitating, if one doesn't have private insurance that covers the costs. This problem needs to be addressed, the sooner the better!