Chemo costs

I was on FOLFOX & 5FU

I remember ONE bag of Oxaliplatin cost over $10,000 when I was having chemo.  I had it memorized once. I think it was $10,472.40  That was just the Oxi, none of the other stuff. 

I was told NOT to look at the statements that came, while I was doing chemo. It was terribly depressing. 

Tru

Everyone's insurance is different.  Your deductible is what your out-of-pocket cost is so if you aren't sure, call your insurance carrier and ask them.  Also, if you have a high deductible (something you can't afford upfront), ask your cancer center to put you on a monthly installment plan.  My deductible went to $10,000 so after calling my hospital they worked with me so that I'd be able to make payments throughout the year. 

Kim

Can I say a think goodness and a hallelujah for out of  pocket limits?!!!!

Like many others, mine was met on Jan 3 for this year. 

I have deductible of $2500 and max out of pocket of $6000 so I know I’ll pay 6,000 and be done. This includes all treatments and prescriptions on my particular plan. 

I‘d also like to give a shout out to the no lifetime limits in coverage costs as the amount the hospital has charged has to be close to (or beyond) the million dollar mark already. I believe this is the present law and for all of us I sure hope it stays that way

I understand the specifics of each policy is different but I believe all or most of them have max out of pocket limits. 

Ebarrera said:

We are very close to meeting

We are very close to meeting our oop. But so chemo drugs fall under rx? 

For me, they did.

Ebarrera said:

Is this the one given through

Is this the one given through the port? So your oop was $10,000? Wow

Fortunate to have good insurance through my spouses employer--I just read all of the paperwork the insurance company sends and was blown away by the amount of the charges--thats how I saw they were biling 25K for port insertion. The radiologists charge a small fee on top of insurance company for some reason too-at the small hospital where I got my chemo the Interventional Radiologists rule the roost. 

Trubrit said:

Depending on the cocktail

I was on FOLFOX & 5FU

I remember ONE bag of Oxaliplatin cost over $10,000 when I was having chemo.  I had it memorized once. I think it was $10,472.40  That was just the Oxi, none of the other stuff. 

I was told NOT to look at the statements that came, while I was doing chemo. It was terribly depressing. 

Tru

 

I always looked up at my bags of clear liquids, as they dripped into my port, and thought: There goes a late-model Harley, and high-end sand toy, or a really good vacation/trip. The whole thing was depressing as h*ll............................Dave

beaumontdave said:

When my cash was running out,

When my cash was running out, and the MediCal OOP was $5000 each month, I found Cali's High Risk Insurance Program, it's limits were $75000 per year, $750k lifetime. The second half of the twelve Folfox treatments and two subsequent liver surgeries had to bump up close to the yearly limit. The hernia surgery fix cost just under $120k in Dec. of 2018. my wife had an easy million in brain cancer treatment from Dec. 2008 to April 2015.  Had the ACA not shown up when it did. I'd be a guy in a small apartment, collecting Disability instead of running a business with my son and living in my own home. I don't know if you're in NZ or what you know of America's health mess, but when any rant about how lousy Obamacare was/is, I make a point of telling my tale. Wrecking peoples lives for lack of some kind of safety net, makes no sense........................................Dave

The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) saved me from travelling to the edge of bankruptcy.  I do not think that many people know its coverage requirements also extend to most private insurance policies as well.

Ebarrera said:

More detail

Can you go into more detail. I current have insurance through my work.  But I may have to switch to the affordable health care in sept. 

I don't know your options, but keep the best insurance that you can while you go through this.  My costs (that insurance paid) for chemo and radiation was at least 250,000, but we just had to pay out maximum out of pocket of 6,000.  Make sure that you have one that will allow you to get second opinions (if needed) and that don't fight you for scans in monitoring you in the following years.  We had  blue cross/blue shield, and I was able to get evaluated at Standord, and then transfer up to UCSF where I got a second opinion and actually did treatment.  Even blue cross though is (so far) denying my 6 month PET/CT scan after treatment.   In my opinion, although some people like them and they do give good treatment, don't go for an HMO..