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Have Your Cancer Costs Gone Up With the New Year?
By
Pat Elliott
Expert
HERWriter
Guide
Blogger
January 14, 2011 - 5:32pm
The first of the year brought a most unwelcome surprise - another price hike in cancer care. My rare form of leukemia is treated through a daily tablet that is the equivalent of getting chemotherapy in pill form. The drug was priced at about $2,000 a month when it was approved in 2001, and has more than doubled since. The $4,500 a month cost for 30 tablets was already an issue, now the price has gone up to $4,991 a month or about $60,000 a year. Changes like this make a difficult situation even worse, but you find a way to deal with them.
How about you? Are you a cancer survivor or current patient facing hikes in the cost of your care? Do you think others understand just how high the various costs are? How do you deal with these expenses? Other thoughts?
By
JCorona0927
February 27, 2011 - 4:36pm
I am lucky this year because I am not currently taking any Chemotharapy but the general cost of insurance is out of control. My prescription copays went from $10/$20/$30 to $10/$40/$150. My doctor visits went from $25 to $45. And our out of pocket expences went up. So if I do nothing but stay on my current meds, stay well and visit each doctor once a month my out of pocket expences are going up from $3500 to $7700. I can not imagine what it will be like next year. I even presented a speech to the board of directors at my husbands job to let them know just how much these changes are effecting family and they just dont care. It just comes down to the bottom line. Profit is the only thing that matters to companies anymore. And we just take care of anyone but ourselves now. What happened to the day when everyone came to the needs of someone on their block or in their church or at their job? I have been very fortunate that even though my medical bills have exceeded $1,000,000 I have only had to lay out about $10,000 per year for the last 4 years. Thanks to good saving and reduced spending we have not been financially devistated by this. Although my husband and I will have to work until the day we die at least it will be in our home.
February 27, 2011 - 4:36pm
JCorona0927 - Thanks for your comments which reflect what a lot of people are facing today as companies raise deductibles to shift more of the costs on employees. Companies are also changing their plans so that less coverage is provided and restricting access to care in many ways. You are fortunate to have what appears to be access to a group health plan and to remain insured.
I know many people who have been financially devastated by the cost of medical care - both with and without insurance - and have lost their homes and the dreams they planned and worked for during their lifetimes. I'm glad you are still in your own home, and hope you find ways to cope with your costs and also maintain your health. Good luck!
February 27, 2011 - 6:39pmThis Comment