Rusty's Struggle: Medical Costs and Homelessness

My name is Rusty Ferguson. I am in my mid-60s; I don’t want to be specific due to security reasons.

I need help with medical bills and I’m facing homelessness. Hopefully, it won’t come to that. It shouldn’t. I have nowhere else to turn. This is complicated.

I have lived in the Philippines since 2008. I moved here mainly because I applied for disability at about age 42 and the income is just not enough to have a life in the USA. I make enough to pay taxes but not enough to live there. I do file my income taxes every year.

I am spending about $650 each month on medication. I have multiple medical issues. My insurance SHOULD reimburse me for this but for the last two years, they have not. They have been able to find reasons not to honor it. This has left me short on funds. I lost about $3k over the last two years because of it.

Some of the things I have been diagnosed with over the years:

Lupus (It may be in remission, but it still seems to be causing me some problems. Some doctors say I never had it. Whatever I had controlled my life for about 10 years and still impacts it. It could be another auto-immune illness)

Type II diabetes

High Blood Pressure

Major Depression (This too has controlled much of my life, but I’m doing better with this now. However, the loss of my son caused a major depressive episode which lasted for about six months and required me to get back on Effexor. This episode was devastating. I am okay now but generally sad due to other losses.)

Heart Attack (In 2019, I had an abscess develop on my leg. I’ve had these all my life, so usually, they do not require a visit to an MD. However, this one turned black, you could smell it several rooms away. When I went to the hospital for that, it was septic, and while in the ER I had a heart attack. I had several blockages, but the worst was 98 percent. I was lucky to live. I was lucky to be in the hospital already.)

Gallstones. I have gallstones and need to have my gallbladder removed. It hurts. I really need to return to the USA to do that. I have medical insurance, but I have no place to stay in the USA and I have no support there. If I enter a hospital here and things cost more than expected, the hospital will hold me prisoner until I pay the bill in full. This happened to me when I had a heart attack. Since I have no support, no transportation, and no money, I'll likely do it here.

Others. Many more things that seem minor to me. But they take their toll.

I also need help with staying in the Philippines. I may make a separate request for that. I’m not sure what the best way to do that is. But, the laws are changing here. I need to get a different kind of visa here. I need a Special Resident Retirement Visa or SRRV. I need to deposit $10K USD in a Philippines bank or condo in order to do that. I don’t think I can afford a condo, so I’m just wanting to deposit the money in a bank account and leave it there. I cannot take the money back out.

My life is here now. I have been with a woman since 2008. She’s all I have. She’s the only reason I have to exist.