Whopping Medical Bill Given to Insured South Carolina Woman
- Dani Yuengling from South Carolina went to the hospital to have a lump on her breast screened for cancer, and she was handed a bill for nearly $18,000 despite being insured.
- Experts reportedly warn that hospitals regularly charge people more who have insurance. It’s advised that everyone should ask the cash price of a procedure.
- Yuengling was wise to take action after discovering the lump; mammograms screen for breast cancer and early signs of cancer. Early intervention typically means broader treatment options and an improved prognosis.
When Yuengling went to the hospital, they refused to tell her the cost, says the Daily Mail, but the hospital’s calculator indicated she would pay about $1,400 for the procedure. “But when the bill arrived, she found out she was charged 12-times this amount.”
Read MoreBills & Paying for Cancer Care
Any sum of money caused by the unexpected diagnosis of a harrowing disease can cause immense stress, but individual costs vary greatly depending upon treatment intensity and duration, survival rates and the stage of the cancer.
Medicare and private health insurance companies sometimes cover treatment costs for qualified cancer patients, but they might not cover everything. And when a claim is denied, Dr. Kristine Zanotti says it is "incumbent upon the clinician" to do something about it.
According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute report, out-of-pocket costs were the highest for breast ($3.14 billion), prostate ($2.26 billion), colon ($1.46 billion) and lung ($1.35 billion) cancer patients a reflection of the higher rates of these cancers.
Cost of cancer care affects many things, including, unfortunately, therapy options. But it's important to try to get multiple opinions after a doctor makes a treatment recommendation. With proton beam therapy, for instance, other cheaper alternatives might be a better option when factoring in financials. This relatively new form of radiation has its advantages, but Dr. Keith Cengel, a radiation oncologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, says x-ray or traditional photon radiation "are pretty darn good" for small, early stage lung cancers.
Certain therapies that might be the best option for your specific cancer, however, can sometimes seem out of reach for people simply because of the cost. Take CAR T-cell therapy, for example. Custom-made from your genetically modified blood cells, this multiple myeloma treatment option is personalized for each specific cancer case in order to slow or stop the disease when other treatments have failed and it pays off. Some medical experts even call it "curative," but that kind of reputation comes with a hefty price tag.
"These therapies are very expensive, in the order of $400,000 to $500,000 just for the product, just for the T-cells," Dr. Thomas Martin, a hematologist at University of California San Francisco Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
No matter the treatment, it's important to know what kind of costs you'll be looking at when all is said and done. To help with that, try connecting with someone from your cancer center who can explain your share of the costs, like a patient navigator, before you decide on a therapy.
How to Get Help With the Cancer Bills
Breast Cancer Screening
Dr. Connie Lehman, director of the breast imaging clinic at Mass General Hospital in Boston, previously told SurvivorNet that it is very important for women to get a mammogram every year, especially if you haven't yet gone through menopause.
"We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving," Dr. Lehman said of the importance of getting a mammogram to diagnose breast cancer. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years."
"But what I'm most concerned about is the women who haven't been in for a mammogram for two, three, or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram," she added. "We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives."
"I want to be completely clear: If you are between 50 and 74 and you have not had a mammogram in the last two years, you are overdue. Please get a mammogram."
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
Contributing: SurvivorNet staff.
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