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Esophogeal/gastric CA and Herceptin

tdicor
tdicor CSN Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Does anyone know what information would help in convincing an insurance company to approve payment to use Herceptin for esophogeal CA? It is too expensive for anyone but the ultra wealthy to afford w/o insurance. I have the marker and would like to give it a try. Thanks.
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  • JaneE2366
    JaneE2366 CSN Member Posts: 289 Member
    #2
    Herceptin
    Our dr's office actually applied to a foundation (I believe it was the drug company's foundation) for us....unfortunately we were turned down. So our dr got it approved by our insurance co....he didn't get into a lot of detail but it had to do with the diagnosis. I am sorry but that is all the info I have. My husband had his first treatment 2 weeks ago....he will continue to have them every 3 weeks. I think each treatment is over $10,000. Don't know who they think has that kind of money. If I can find out anything else, I will be sure to post it. Good luck to you.
    Jane
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  • tdicor
    tdicor CSN Member Posts: 2
    #3
    JaneE2366 said:

    Herceptin
    Our dr's office actually applied to a foundation (I believe it was the drug company's foundation) for us....unfortunately we were turned down. So our dr got it approved by our insurance co....he didn't get into a lot of detail but it had to do with the diagnosis. I am sorry but that is all the info I have. My husband had his first treatment 2 weeks ago....he will continue to have them every 3 weeks. I think each treatment is over $10,000. Don't know who they think has that kind of money. If I can find out anything else, I will be sure to post it. Good luck to you.
    Jane

    Herceptin
    Thanks for responding
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  • JaneE2366
    JaneE2366 CSN Member Posts: 289 Member
    #4
    tdicor said:

    Herceptin
    Thanks for responding

    Herceptin
    Turns out our insurance co is not paying for the treatments. Now the dr's office is going back to the drug company's foundation. We go for the 3rd treatment this week....I guess we will find out more then.
    Jane
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  • aunti_m
    aunti_m CSN Member Posts: 41
    #5
    Thanks to this wonderful
    Thanks to this wonderful website, I wouldn't have known about Herceptin. My doc thought it was only used for breast cancer until I brought it up to him and he did a quick look into it. He is also going to go through the drug manufacturer to get it paid for also said insurance won't pay for it because it's still experimental for EC. Good luck to you sounds like a great drug with no side effects.
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  • JaneE2366
    JaneE2366 CSN Member Posts: 289 Member
    #6
    aunti_m said:

    Thanks to this wonderful
    Thanks to this wonderful website, I wouldn't have known about Herceptin. My doc thought it was only used for breast cancer until I brought it up to him and he did a quick look into it. He is also going to go through the drug manufacturer to get it paid for also said insurance won't pay for it because it's still experimental for EC. Good luck to you sounds like a great drug with no side effects.

    Hope so
    Aunti_m
    Thank you! Charlie has his 3rd treatment this coming Thursday.....I just hope the foundation has OK'd it. Dr's office said not to worry about it...they would make it happen.
    Stay strong,
    Jane
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