Holy Moly Cost of Cancer

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.

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

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.