Can you count on your health insurance when you need it? What if you and your spouse are "double-covered?" What are your options when medical debt is dragging you down? And if you can't pay, what happens after you get well and start looking for a new job?

To find out, we spoke with Monique Davis, a nonprofit executive in Southern California, who, during midlife, faced an unexpected diagnosis with a rare and potentially deadly disease. How did her HMO respond when claims for chemotherapy, medical equipment, multiple ambulance rides and a stem cell transplant came rolling in?

Monique says her survival is a miracle and her treatments were arduous. . . Did dealing with the claims really have to be so hard?