Just back from Onc appt....Xeloda script in hand

okthen
okthen Member Posts: 232
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Just returned from Onc appointment.
Jack told him straight off. I'm done.
We talked about his neuropathy, his Oxal reaction, his chances for recurrence...his chances for NED.
Basically...it's a crap shoot.
Final decision...
Doc started Jack on Neurontin, gave us script for Xeloda...we will go back next Tuesday and tell him if Jack will take it or not. Doc also agreed that Jack could get Port out, left message at Surgeons office, hopefully we can get that done this month.

Cancer center told me if we absolutely can't afford his health coverage anymore, to let them know, that they have programs that would cover his meds. I may need to do that, don't think I could send that money but one more month. We would still have to pay out of pocket for Doc visits, scans, etc. I don't know...if I cancel his high risk pool insurance he can't get back on it for a year...I will have to give it some thought.

Pharmacy says Xeloda is 2000 for 84 pills. Wow.

Just thought I would update ya'll. Hope everyone is doing good today.
Chriss

Comments

  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #2
    What is the price?
    Is the price for Xeloda $2,000 for 84 pills?

    Here is a link that I found. Don't know if you qualify or not but worth checking into.

    http://patientassistance.com/B8466-xeloda.html

    On the left side of the page was a list of about 4 sites where assistance might be available.

    I know that Jack's decision was a hard one for you both. Praying that the crap shoot comes out all 7's and 11's...winner!

    Hugs,

    Marie who loves kitties
  • okthen
    okthen Member Posts: 232
    #3
    Lovekitties said:

    What is the price?
    Is the price for Xeloda $2,000 for 84 pills?

    Here is a link that I found. Don't know if you qualify or not but worth checking into.

    http://patientassistance.com/B8466-xeloda.html

    On the left side of the page was a list of about 4 sites where assistance might be available.

    I know that Jack's decision was a hard one for you both. Praying that the crap shoot comes out all 7's and 11's...winner!

    Hugs,

    Marie who loves kitties

    lol, thanks Marie! You're a
    lol, thanks Marie! You're a peach!! (o:

    Yes, 2000 for 84 pills...it is covered 100% with his insurance because we already owe 6000 out of pocket, but if I cancel the coverage...well you get it.

    I will look at your link, thanks for your help!
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #4
    Chriss:
    How much is this insurance costing you each month? If possible I would do everything I could to keep the insurance, just scans alone cost a ton of money yet alone blood work.

    As long as the Xeloda is covered, go ahead and fill the prescription. I didn't realize it cost so much money.

    Here in Michigan they have insurance coverage for children for (I think) $5.00 per month. It is a state program. It is called My Child and it is for people that fall between the cracks, don't have employer coverage, don't qualify for Medicaid, so at least chilidren are covered. Not advertised very much. Maybe they have something like that where you live and that could bring down your coverage costs. Just a thought.

    Take care - Tina
  • okthen
    okthen Member Posts: 232
    #5
    geotina said:

    Chriss:
    How much is this insurance costing you each month? If possible I would do everything I could to keep the insurance, just scans alone cost a ton of money yet alone blood work.

    As long as the Xeloda is covered, go ahead and fill the prescription. I didn't realize it cost so much money.

    Here in Michigan they have insurance coverage for children for (I think) $5.00 per month. It is a state program. It is called My Child and it is for people that fall between the cracks, don't have employer coverage, don't qualify for Medicaid, so at least chilidren are covered. Not advertised very much. Maybe they have something like that where you live and that could bring down your coverage costs. Just a thought.

    Take care - Tina

    Hi Tina...hope you and
    Hi Tina...hope you and George are doing well!
    Jacks coverage is 1580 a month.
    I don't think there is anything like that here in Kansas...if there is "they" are keeping it a big secret. I thought there was always supposed to be a way to make sure your kids were covered, but our income is too high, healthwave won't even consider the 18960 a year I pay for Jacks coverage off of our income. If they would, my kids could get coverage with the state.

    There have been some very smart suggestions made to me that you can't go back and get do-overs...I am working on that mindset...but let me just say one more time (haha)....if I COULD GO BACK....when Jack was layed off in Feb of 09, we chose to draw his pension on a leveling schedule, basically he gets the same amount in pension that he would draw Social Security at age 66. BUT, when he turns 65 it reduces to about 1/6th of what he gets now...Blah blah...the bottom line is it boosted us so that we wouldn't lose our house, but shot us out of the ring for any financial help with insurance or health coverage....and we had to sell our house anyway. Go figure.

    Thats okay...looking forward...one day at a time...fa la la

    Another way to look at it is he is getting that pension to pay for his healthcare, but the rest of the family is uninsured. One of the great things bout getting my kids on a state program would be the lack of deductibles or co-pays...all I can find at the moment is 5000 deductibles per person which would run us about 400 a month for me and the kids.
  • here4lfe
    here4lfe Member Posts: 306 Member
    #6
    okthen said:

    Hi Tina...hope you and
    Hi Tina...hope you and George are doing well!
    Jacks coverage is 1580 a month.
    I don't think there is anything like that here in Kansas...if there is "they" are keeping it a big secret. I thought there was always supposed to be a way to make sure your kids were covered, but our income is too high, healthwave won't even consider the 18960 a year I pay for Jacks coverage off of our income. If they would, my kids could get coverage with the state.

    There have been some very smart suggestions made to me that you can't go back and get do-overs...I am working on that mindset...but let me just say one more time (haha)....if I COULD GO BACK....when Jack was layed off in Feb of 09, we chose to draw his pension on a leveling schedule, basically he gets the same amount in pension that he would draw Social Security at age 66. BUT, when he turns 65 it reduces to about 1/6th of what he gets now...Blah blah...the bottom line is it boosted us so that we wouldn't lose our house, but shot us out of the ring for any financial help with insurance or health coverage....and we had to sell our house anyway. Go figure.

    Thats okay...looking forward...one day at a time...fa la la

    Another way to look at it is he is getting that pension to pay for his healthcare, but the rest of the family is uninsured. One of the great things bout getting my kids on a state program would be the lack of deductibles or co-pays...all I can find at the moment is 5000 deductibles per person which would run us about 400 a month for me and the kids.

    You guys are in a situation I've never been, so no wisdom (real or fake) from me.

    You snuck in your second guessing, we'll cure you of that someday -)

    Just take care, and I hope you and Jacks' time at the craps table is full of good moments.

    Best
  • okthen
    okthen Member Posts: 232
    #7
    here4lfe said:

    You guys are in a situation I've never been, so no wisdom (real or fake) from me.

    You snuck in your second guessing, we'll cure you of that someday -)

    Just take care, and I hope you and Jacks' time at the craps table is full of good moments.

    Best

    You caught me red handed!
    You caught me red handed! hahaha
    I'm slick like that...(0;
    Or at least I thought I was being slick...lol
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #8
    $2000
    That's the cost of Xeloda alright - retail price w/no insurance.

    My insurance at that time covered the "84" for a buck fifty - and I mean $150 per bottle.

    Since it's covered by your insurance, I would fill the Rx.

    -Craig
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #9
    Sundanceh said:

    $2000
    That's the cost of Xeloda alright - retail price w/no insurance.

    My insurance at that time covered the "84" for a buck fifty - and I mean $150 per bottle.

    Since it's covered by your insurance, I would fill the Rx.

    -Craig

    Cost of Xeloda
    My Xeloda cost is $1933.32 of which I get to pay a lovely $431.97 every 3 weeks. Looking for that money tree, or since my colon surgery, wondering if I try hard enough can I Sh!t money now?
    I YI YI, the cost of staying alive.
    Winter Marie
  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #10
    Chriss
    So glad that you got Jack to at least take the script home.

    As for all the insurance problems ... believe me, I know that is difficult. I've been doing this without insurance and it isn't easy and is so costly. Maybe you can try the Prescription Assistance Program: http://www.pparx.org/
    They have a program online where you can put in your information and they can give you an immediate answer as to whether or not you qualify for their program.

    Also try my very favorite: Patient Advocate Foundation. They are one of the very few foundations that have a colorectal cancer specific branch and they've been the very best help I could have gotten: http://www.patientadvocate.org/
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #11
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #12
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Wow is right!
    It is such an eye opener when I read what most of you have to put up with when it comes to costs of healthcare. Even those of you who have healthcare insurance... if you are paying for it yourself, it's outrageously ridiculously high... and if you have an employer who is paying for it, it sounds like so many of you are still paying a couple of hundred $$/month or more for your "employee" share.

    Kathy.... you and I (and anyone else in the province of BC), although we understand we have it good, I don't think we ever have fully comprehended just how good we have it. We have crooked politicians just like anywhere else, both federally and provincially... and I know they all are dying to get their hands on the Canadian healthcare system and change it around to suit their greedy needs. Lucky... because of the National Healthcare Act, they haven't succeeded yet... but they sure are trying. Meanwhile, of course there are problems with it... I don't care who you are or what country you are from, no matter how good a system is, there is always room for improvement and there will always be problems that crop up.

    BUT, having said that... none of us here have had to go through what we are hearing a large percentage of our friends here on this board are going through. I remember on numerous posts I've written, asking some of the most innocent, naive questions, not because I didn't know the answer, but because I couldn't believe it was soooo different between the two countries.

    Up here... Xeloda is expensive if we had to pay the costs ourselves. Someone who was taking 3000mg/day (pretty standard dose) for 14 days with a 7 day break would need 84 pills per cycle. You can order them up here for 120 500mg pills for $937 US. So, that is a heck of a lot cheaper than $2000 for 84 pills... and I'd seriously look at ordering online if one is going to have to pay those kinds of prices. Heck... depending where you live, it would almost be worth the airfare to fly up here with a US Doctor's prescription (although... before hopping on a plane, make sure you know what you need and where you can go to get it filled).

    This is where I do feel guilty... it's not survivor's guilt, but more healthcare insurance guilt. As Kathy knows... any chemos we need up here and our oncologists prescribe for us... they are paid for by the BC Cancer Agency. The BC Cancer Agency gets funding from various sources and it is a huge research facility... not unlike your State Cancer Agencies or the American Cancer Agency (we have the Canadian Cancer Agency). But the difference seems to be... with the BC Cancer Agency, anyways, they cover all chemo costs for their patients. It means that we have to get our chemo prescriptions filled at the Cancer Agency and not a local pharmacy but hello??? Is that a problem??

    Now, the meds that are prescribed such as anti-side affect meds... those are not covered by the Cancer Agency since the majority of them are just regular meds that are used for numerous conditions. You are on your own for paying them... and depending on what kind of extended healthcare or drug coverage plan you have. The one that comes to mind since I have just started using it (and am picking up another prescription of it tomorrow for next week's chemo) is Emend, the anti-chemo nausea med. Just recently we heard someone say how expensive Emend is... $150/pill.... and you need 3 pills for each chemo session. $450 for 3 pills! I do have a extended healthcare plan that covers paying for 80% of my prescriptions and once I've reached a certain limit, then the provincial plan kicks in and I end up paying either $1/prescription or the prescription is covered 100%. In other words, yes, we all know that Cancer is expensive... and the longer you are in treatment, the more expensive it gets.... but the stress of the financial end of it has never ever affected me since it's not an issue. But I stress out big time hearing how it affects you all south of the border... be it your treatment/prescription costs or the costs of your healthcare insurance. It's not fair... it's criminal that anyone has to give up their lives, their homes and their life savings because their country is not looking after them.... even though you all are paying taxes!

    Sorry for the rant... but it upsets me so much... when I know every single one of us, whether we have cancer or we are looking after loved ones who do, have more than enough to worry about and stress out over, without having to worry abou losing everything and not being able to afford healthcare for your kids.

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