The costs of getting the Cancer Monkey off your back:………… Part IV of a Series on Health Care Costs
With the changing of the guard coming up soon it is imperative that something is done about Healthcare.
This is an update on a series on Healthcare costs. The patient is a friend with cancer and who has allowed us to follow his progress and bills so that we may get a closer look into the problem of health care in America today. If you would like to start the series from the beginning go to : Part I, Part II, Part III.
The last time we updated this series, was back in January. Since then my friend has finished his Chemo treatments and is thankfully into remission. He now goes in every three months to see the oncologist and for blood tests and every six months for Cat/Pet Scans, to keep the disease in check.
As if being ill is not stressful enough, it is shameful that a person in a time in their life when what they need is care, should have to be scrounging around for money to pay for their insurance premiums or worst yet have to file bankruptcy. The time is now to push for a solution to the healthcare problems in America. Make your voice known, let the candidates and congress know what you want done.
Here is a site to go to that gives us a better idea of specific solutions proposed by Senators Obama and McCain so that when we go and vote we can make a better decision. Health Decision ‘08
As far as the costs are concerned, these are the running totals from before January 14:
| Description | Billed | Ins. Pays | Ded | Co- Pay | Premiums | SubTotal | Total Paid |
| Running Totals | 68470.11 | 19231.21 | 2136.47 | 85.80 | 2208.00 | 23661.48 |
From here on are the bills from January 14,2008 to the present:
| Description | Billed | Ins. Pays | Ded | Co- Pay | Premiums | SubTotal | Total Paid |
| 3rd Chemo 1/09 | 16624.00 | 3675.00 | 3675.00 | 27577.51 | |||
| Blood Test 1/21 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 27585.11 | |||
| Blood test 1/22 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 27592.71 | |||
| Blood Test 1/28 | 98.00 | 17.94 | 17.94 | 27610.65 | |||
| Oncologist Visit 1/29 | 176.00 | 136.47 | 136.47 | 27747.12 | |||
| Fac Charge 1/29 | 146.00 | 97.82 | 97.82 | 27844.94 | |||
| Blood Test 1/30 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 27852.54 | |||
| 4th Chemo 1/31 | 17247.00 | 1947.94 | 1727.06 | 3675.00 | 31527.54 | ||
| Blood Test 2/6 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 31535.14 | |||
| Prescription/ Prednisone-12/11-1/9-1-31 | 11.62 | 11.62 | 31546.76 | ||||
| Prescription/ Prochlorper 12/12 | 0.36 | 15.00 | 15.36 | 31562.12 | |||
| Prescription/ nystatin 1/22 | 11.04 | 15.00 | 26.04 | 31588.16 | |||
| Prescription/ ciprofloxacn 1/22-2/14 | 30.00 | 30.00 | 31618.16 | ||||
| Insurance Premium February | 736.00 | 736.00 | 32354.16 | ||||
| Prescription/ Prednisone 2/21 | 3.87 | 3.87 | 32358.03 | ||||
| Blodd Tests 2/14 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 32365.63 | |||
| Pet Scan 2/18 | 3300.00 | 2238.61 | 2238.61 | 34604.24 | |||
| Blood Test 2/20 | 98.00 | 17.94 | 17.94 | 34622.18 | |||
| Oncologist Visit 2/21 | 176.00 | 136.47 | 136.47 | 34758.65 | |||
| Fac Charge 2/21 | 146.00 | 97.82 | 97.82 | 34856.47 | |||
| Blood Tests 2/27 | 48.50 | 9.70 | 9.70 | 34866.17 | |||
| 5th Chemo 2/28 | 17197.00 | 3675.00 | 3675.00 | 38541.17 | |||
| Blood Test 3/04 | 48.50 | 9.70 | 9.70 | 38550.87 | |||
| Blood Test 3/12 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 38558.47 | |||
| Oncologist Visit3/18 | 176.00 | 136.47 | 136.47 | 38694.94 | |||
| Fac Charge 3/18 | 146.00 | 97.82 | 97.82 | 38792.76 | |||
| Blood Test 3/24 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 38800.36 | |||
| 6th Chemo 3/25 | 17100.00 | 3675.00 | 3675.00 | 42475.36 | |||
| Blood Test 3/31 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 42482.96 | |||
| Insurance Premium/ April | 736.00 | 736.00 | 43218.96 | ||||
| Blood Test 4/08 | 41.51 | 18.50 | 18.50 | 43237.46 | |||
| Blood Test 4/15 | 48.50 | 7.60 | 7.60 | 43245.06 | |||
| Blood Test 4/28 | 129.20 | 10.34 | 10.34 | 43255.40 | |||
| Oncologist Visit 4/29 | 125.00 | 100.60 | 100.60 | 43356.00 | |||
| Fac Charge 4/29 | 146.00 | 97.82 | 97.82 | 43453.82 | |||
| Oncologist Visit 7/29 | 125.00 | 100.60 | 100.60 | 43554.42 | |||
| Fac Charge 7/29 | 116.00 | 77.72 | 77.72 | 43632.14 | |||
| Prescription/Prednisone 2/28 | 11.99 | 3.87 | 3.87 | 43636.01 | |||
| Prescription/ Ranitidine 3/02 | 34.99 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 43651.01 | |||
| Prescription/ Ciprofloxacn 3/11 | 26.29 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 43666.01 | |||
| Prescription/ ciprofloxacn 3/18 | 26.29 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 43681.01 | |||
| PrescriptionR anitidine 3/18 | 34.99 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 43696.01 | |||
| Prescription/ ciprofloxacn 4/10 | 26.29 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 43711.01 |
| Running Totals | 143982.16 | 35790.85 | 4000 | 240.16 | 3680.00 | 43711.01 |
Bottom line it has cost a lot of money. This is the breakdown from 2007/2008
The Insurance company was billed $143982.16
The Insurance Company paid out: $ 35790.85
My friend has paid out: $ 7920.16
between Co-pays/Deductible/Prescriptions/Premiums
I’m not sure what happens between the billed amount and the paid amount, maybe it’s a write off. One thing I know for sure is that there are way too many middlemen, way too many charges, and it doesn’t seem right to me that somebody is making a profit off the misery of a human being.
There has to be a better way…Get informed Health Decision ‘08.
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