Cost of Living
I asked a lot of questions when I was diagnosed with cancer. Not one of them was "How much is this going to cost?" And maybe I should have, but at the time, that wasn't one of the things I was concerned with. New guidelines would make this conversation a priority for oncologists when discussing treatment options with patients. I'll be interested to see how these guidelines are presented; I hate the mental image I have of doctors reviewing a menu of options with a newly diagnosed cancer patient.
Cancer is expensive as hell. My medical bills for last year would pay for more than half of my new house. Thank goodness for insurance. I can't imagine trying to decide on treatment and having to figure out how to pay for it. If you go for the cheaper option and the cancer comes back, do you kick yourself for being a cheapskate? I paid $50 each chemo for one of the anti-nausea drugs I took; that was for three pills. Without insurance, it would have been about $300. One of the shots I received the day after chemo cost $7,000. I hated how it made me feel, but I know it was beneficial in the long run. I don't even want to imagine being in a position where I was forced to forgo one of those drugs because I couldn't afford it. But when you don't have insurance and you're already coughing up thousands for the actual chemo, these "extras" are a big deal with an even bigger price tag.
I understand and appreciate that drug companies spend big bucks to research treatments. This is one of the reasons that we've made so many advances against this disease. I just wish there was a better way for them to recoup their investment than on the backs of patients.
I'm sure having these discussions will be valuable for many patients, especially those without insurance. But I'm glad that I didn't have this conversation with my doctor, because I'm afraid I would have let cost influence my treatment decisions at a time when there wasn't a price I was unwilling to pay.
Cancer is expensive as hell. My medical bills for last year would pay for more than half of my new house. Thank goodness for insurance. I can't imagine trying to decide on treatment and having to figure out how to pay for it. If you go for the cheaper option and the cancer comes back, do you kick yourself for being a cheapskate? I paid $50 each chemo for one of the anti-nausea drugs I took; that was for three pills. Without insurance, it would have been about $300. One of the shots I received the day after chemo cost $7,000. I hated how it made me feel, but I know it was beneficial in the long run. I don't even want to imagine being in a position where I was forced to forgo one of those drugs because I couldn't afford it. But when you don't have insurance and you're already coughing up thousands for the actual chemo, these "extras" are a big deal with an even bigger price tag.
I understand and appreciate that drug companies spend big bucks to research treatments. This is one of the reasons that we've made so many advances against this disease. I just wish there was a better way for them to recoup their investment than on the backs of patients.
I'm sure having these discussions will be valuable for many patients, especially those without insurance. But I'm glad that I didn't have this conversation with my doctor, because I'm afraid I would have let cost influence my treatment decisions at a time when there wasn't a price I was unwilling to pay.
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