Wildfires can cause lung irritation and inflammation when you inhale small particles of smoke, leading to coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
 
That’s exactly what happened to Cassie. Even as wildfire smoke covered the state of Wisconsin, Cassie needed to leave the safety of her filtered, air-conditioning to get to and from work. One day, when the smoke was particularly heavy in her area, Cassie started experiencing some scary symptoms. She went to the Emergency Department at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center for help.
 
Cassie required breathing tests and Asthma treatments to get her asthma controlled. This happened three times in total.
 
When she received her first bill, Cassie learned her insurance had termed. She called immediately to get it reinstated but her coverage would not be backdated to cover her emergency hospital visits.
 
She called the hospital’s Financial Advocate for help. After completing a financial assessment, Cassie was approved for a 100% discount through the Aurora Health Care Patient Financial Assistance Program.