I Got Cancer and Still Saved $68,000. Here’s How

“The Work Game.” “The Cannabis Card Advantage.” “The Meal Prep Hack.”

These sound like tips from a self-help guru, a personal finance expert, or a life coach. But I’m none of those things. I’m a finance VP and a breast cancer patient, and these are just a few of the strategies I’ve used to keep from going bankrupt while battling for my life.

I’ve spent over 200 hours on the phone with insurance companies, filing appeals, and navigating a medical system that seems designed to send you to the poorhouse. Cancer is a terrible diagnosis, but the financial toll is its own kind of death sentence. I’ve heard stories of women who beat their cancer only to lose their homes. That’s not survival.

I’m here to tell you there’s another way. Cancer shouldn’t require a finance degree to survive financially. But until the system changes, we have to play the game. I want to share the hacks and insights I’ve learned along the way so you can protect your assets while you fight for your health.

Here’s how I saved nearly $69,000, and how you can, too.

Healthwell Hack

Another woman, Patricia, told me about the Healthwell Foundation. They paid my $5,000 deductible. Just paid it. You apply online, and if you qualify (income under 400% of federal poverty level for your area or medical expenses over 10% of income), they send money directly to your provider. I’m a VP making six figures, but my medical expenses qualified me.

The Work Game

I negotiated with my CEO before starting treatment. Instead of going on full leave, I restructured my role temporarily. I’m working 30 hours per week but keeping full benefits and 75% salary. This keeps my insurance active, my HSA contributions flowing, and my team employed. It also makes me more valuable – they can’t afford to lose me now that I’ve proven I can run finance through chemo.

I also maxed out my FSA for dependent care. My kids are teenagers who don’t need daycare, but FSA covers summer camps, after-school programs, even driving lessons if marketed as “supervision.” That’s $5,000 in tax-free money I’m using while undergoing treatment.

The Cannabis Card Advantage

Colorado’s medical marijuana program costs $25 for cancer patients. That card saves 10% sales tax on all cannabis purchases. I don’t smoke, but CBD helps with neuropathy from chemo. More importantly, medical cannabis purchases are HSA-eligible with proper documentation. My oncologist wrote a recommendation, and now my $100 monthly CBD budget comes from pre-tax dollars.

The Meal Prep Hack

Chemo kills your appetite and taste buds. I was buying whatever sounded remotely edible, wasting hundreds on food I couldn’t eat. Then I discovered cancer meal delivery services. Savor Health delivers cancer-specific meals covered by some insurance plans as “medical nutrition therapy.” My plan doesn’t cover it, but at $10 per meal with a cancer diagnosis discount, it’s cheaper than my regular grocery waste.

I also hit up every meal train and church food delivery available. I’m not religious, but Denver’s churches don’t check membership for cancer meal delivery. First Presbyterian, St. John’s Episcopal, and Temple Emanuel have kept me fed for months. That’s $500 monthly I’m not spending on groceries.

The Equipment Marketplace

After my mastectomy, I needed everything: special pillows, drain holders, shower seats, compression garments. The hospital wanted to sell me a “recovery kit” for $485. Instead, I joined Facebook Marketplace breast cancer groups. Women sell or give away their post-surgery supplies constantly. I got everything for $60 and sold it forward when I was done.

The compression garments alone saved me $400. Insurance covers two per year, but I needed more. The Facebook groups have women trading sizes as swelling changes. It’s like a lending library for cancer equipment. My shower seat, grabbers, and special pillows came free from women who’d finished treatment.

The Parking Wars

Hospital parking at Anschutz is $18 per day. With treatment three times weekly, that’s $216 monthly. But here’s the hack: the light rail stops at Anschutz. A monthly RTD pass is $114, and it’s tax-deductible as medical transportation. Plus, my company offers a transit benefit that reimburses $100 monthly. I’m basically getting paid to take the train to chemo.

On days I drive (because sometimes you need to cry in your car after treatment), I use SpotHero. Parking two blocks away is $6 instead of $18. That’s $36 versus $54 weekly. These small wins matter when you’re hemorrhaging money to cancer.

The Real Numbers

My cancer costs so far:
– Surgery: $1,800 (after insurance)
– Chemotherapy: $2,400 (after assistance programs)
– Prescriptions: $425 (with manufacturer cards)
– Radiation (estimated): $1,200
– Travel/parking: $375
– Wigs/scarves: $0 (insurance covered one, friends donated others)
– Total: $6,200

What it should have cost:
– Surgery: $12,000 (out-of-pocket maximum)
– Chemotherapy: $35,000 (without assistance)
– Prescriptions: $23,000 (without cards)
– Everything else: $5,000
– Total: $75,000

Difference: $68,800 saved

The Emotional Cost Nobody Calculates

I run finance for a tech company. I negotiate million-dollar contracts. But nothing prepared me for negotiating my own survival while battling insurance companies. I’ve spent probably 200 hours on paperwork, appeals, and phone calls. That’s five work weeks of unpaid labor just to not go bankrupt from cancer.

Last week, during chemo, I was on hold with insurance for two hours trying to get PET scan approval. The nurse asked if I needed anything. “Yeah,” I said, “I need UnitedHealthcare to answer their damn phone.” She laughed. Then she gave me the direct line to their oncology department that bypasses the main queue. That number alone will save me 20 hours.

Why I’m Sharing This

Cancer shouldn’t require a finance degree to survive financially. But until the system changes, we have to work it. I’m not special – I just have the advantage of understanding numbers and having the energy (barely) to fight.

My cancer is responding to treatment. My prognosis is good. But I know women who’ve beaten their cancer only to lose their homes. That’s not survival – that’s a different kind of death sentence.

The Bottom Line

If you’re facing cancer, here’s your action plan:
1. Time major procedures around insurance years
2. Apply for every assistance program (no shame)
3. Challenge every bill (most have errors)
4. Use manufacturer copay cards
5. Join support groups for practical tips
6. Document everything for taxes
7. Take the disability benefits you’ve earned
8. Ask for help (meals, rides, everything)

Cancer took my breasts, my hair, and my illusion of invincibility. But it didn’t take my house, my retirement, or my kids’ college funds. In corporate finance, we call that protecting your assets. In cancer, I call it winning.

I’m Regina Marino. I’m a Finance VP, breast cancer patient, and master of working the system. My spreadsheets have spreadsheets, my copay cards have their own wallet, and I’ve turned fighting cancer into a financial strategy that would make Warren Buffett proud.

Next week, I start radiation. I’ve already negotiated a payment plan, applied for transportation assistance, and found a clinical trial that covers follow-up treatment. The cancer might be Stage 3, but my financial game is Fortune 500.

*Follow me for more tips, or don’t. I’ll be here either way, bald, brilliant, and bankrupting exactly no one.*