Money Mondays - ep 6, Special Bipolar Edition
Despite the fact that to those of us afflicted with this “brilliant madness”, this illness is probably one of the most daunting source for various valid (and invalid) excuses and an endless source of problems. However, FICO doesn’t seem to give one rip that you’re surviving a serious brain disorder; they only care that your creditors were paid late or not at all.
Which is real nice, you know, since our medical bills are significantly higher than, say, the mentally “uninteresting”. I’ve heard quotes of $6,734 on average in the UK and between $11,720 to $624,785 in the States (depending on the number of manic episodes) as lifetime costs for medical care. I can tell you that for the past 3 years, I’ve averaged $3,000 per year and that’s because I’m without medical insurance. That’s not to mention the lost income from the total 8 months of lost work over the past 3 years… so total annual cost? $7,000 a year or $583 a month!
No wonder I’m broke.
What is to be done, then? Believe it or not, there are things you can do to help spare yourself unnecessary hardship and help save your credit score. (more…)
