Holy Moly Cost of Cancer

Snowkitty
Snowkitty Member Posts: 295

Was looking at what Medicare was charged for my treatments so far, and crap, it's alot.  Below are just a couple that were more expensive:

Ultrasound/Biopsy/clip   $6,248

Port  $6,006

Pet Scan  $10,183

Muga scan  1,273

Chemo  3,018

Neupogen shot  8168 (yep, that's right 8,000 for the med, 168 for the push)

I don't know what people without insurance would do.

 

Cindy

 

 

Comments

  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    Mastectomy and DIEP flap

    Mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction at Stanford Hospital costed $150 000 BUT insurance company had contracted $24 000 in 2010. 

    Neupogen shots at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in 2010 for me were $7000 a shot.

    I read that it was not only the pharmaceutical companies who were making money on cancer drugs but the clinics as well.  Often the clinics mark up the by 200 - 300%, in addition to charging the processing or adminstration fee.   It is sad when hospitals and clinics are allowed to be profitable (as opposed to just a non-profit) then they go out of there way to make money at the expense of the sick.

    BUT, in their defense many clinics and hospitals are able to offer subsidised treatment and full financial aid.

  • blazintrails
    blazintrails Member Posts: 52
    Even with insurance the costs

    Even with insurance the costs SUCK!

    Biopsy-  $500

    Pet scan-$725

    Surgeon-$600

    and a bunch more that we haven't even came across yet...  So much for insurance :)

     

    Oh but wait until Obamacare kicks in.... I won't even have my husbands insurance to cover me :(

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    Add on 18 1/2 years of Cancer Treatment...

    Add on 18 1/2 years to the cost of cancer treatment.  I have been in treatment since August 1994 and prior to that I had a minor surgery that year that led to a staph infection that nearly cost me my life along with an ER visit to clean the wound and then another surgery.  I could not even begin to guess how many ct scans, MRI's, Bone scans, PET Scans and ultra sounds I have had.  Then add blood test which because of my chemo drug for uveitis has been until recently a monthly blood tests for over 5 years.  I can't even think of the blood tests over the years.  Then all the doctor's appointments and at one time, had five specialist and one primary care.  

    That is where my money goes and then add on 26 prescriptions I now have.  I have good coverage but even with good coverage and co-pay for prescriptions it adds up and up and up.

    Not cheap at all,

    Doris

     

  • littleangel65
    littleangel65 Member Posts: 46
    Cancer Treatment Costs

    I agree, I have been on medical leave for just over a year now,  and from Sept. to Dec. 31, 2012 I was on my COBRA plan, but, during my husbands open enrollment, I went on his insurance as of Jan. 1, 2013, well, now if should stay at my hospital and stay with my oncologist, my husbands insurance consider my doctor out of network, and only covers at 60%.  I just got my first bill in for my last treatment in Feb., and his insurance didn't even cover 15%.  Out of a 36,000 bill, the insurance only paid 6.000 towards it.  Now, I am stressing not just over having cancer, but the larger amount of money its going to cost us, and I just don't know where the money is going to come from.

     

     

  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    What I find interesting are

    What I find interesting are the figures I get in my monthly reports from my health insurance provider.  It shows what the medical places and people submitted to the provider and what the provider paid them.  I haven't looked at the reports in awhile, but it seems that payment was around half, maybe a little more.  I was not held accountable for the balance, in most instances.  What balances I have had to pay are rare and tend to be less than $30.  Last year, the amount of the claims submitted to my insurance company totaled more than $225,000.  I had surgery (double mas/left side lymph nodes also taken), chemo (8), and radiation therapy (33).

    Even if non-insureds paid just half, that still is a LOT of money.  I know that if I were to lose my insurance because of a job change or job cut, I would call my cancer navigator for starts.

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    I never see any bills...so I

    I never see any bills...so I Have no IDEA what any of my tests, surgieres, procedures cost...but I am sure I would be in aweeeeeeeeeeeee LIKE all of you if I saw it..

     

    Denise