The cost of your loved ones treatment

david54

I am wondering if when your loved one had cancer, did you sweat over the bills for their treatment? I wanted my wife to get the best care, and I believe she did. However, it was sobering when I saw bills for her chemotherapy alone that averaged $50,000 per treatment.

She was covered on my group plan thru my employer and the most we ever had to pay out of pocket was $3500 a year. I considered that a bargain. I don’t know what we would have done had I lost my job, and there were times when it was close!

At the time I was so focused on her treatment I did not think about the possibility of losing benefits, but now when I reflect, I realize how dependent we were on my employer to keep my benefits in place.

Avastin is one expensive drug; one dose I think was about $7500. And then we had to be careful because I could have administered some of the drugs to her myself, (RN) without having to go to the clinic which wore on her, but then the insurance company would not have paid for it, so I made sure we got to the clinic and had it administered there.
Some things need to change with regard to the cost of treatment. The last thing people should have to worry about is losing everything they have for treating their disease.

I don’t see it changing in the near future.

Beckymarie

Healthcare
I often wondered what the cost of my husband's 15 month came to, Temador, Avastin, numerous MRI's, ER trips, blood work and more blood work. I too was very fortunate that we had good health insurance. Unfortunately, I don't think people realized how quickly can they be financially devastated by a medical crisis until they have experienced one. Yes, something needs to change but with a Congress that cannot seem to get their act togethe, it does not look hopeful...shame on them.

grandmafay

Insurance
Thank God Doug was covered during his 6 year battle. One surgery had a bill of over $100,000 and that was just the hospital. I can't even imagine what the surgeon, etc. was. The costs are too high when one pill is in the $1,000 range. Fay