"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
―
Robert Frost
I think this says it all and exactly how I view my life.
Life is beautiful !
Elizabeth:)
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Thursday, November 2, 2017
The Cost Of Cancer Treatment And Financial Burden
We had an exciting evening last night as the Houston Astros won the World Series. I really enjoyed watching the games as the players' excitement said it all. I am so happy for them and they proved you should never say it can't be done. I am sure that Houston is happy today and the city is bustling with excitement.
The other news in my world is the of course never ending saga of health care. My husband and I were so excited to hear about the new Car T-Cell Therapy and wondered about the cost. So I did some research and of course the price of this is astounding and they are still working on the coverage with the insurance companies. I am happy that we have these new therapies for people that have lost hope when other treatment has failed, but will they be able to afford Car T-Cell Therapy. It also sounds like the therapy does not come without some serious side effects that they are still working on. Why does cancer care always have to cost so much?
I have some friends that are going through cancer treatment now and experiencing the enormous cost that it places on a family. It has brought back a lot of fears for my husband and me. The fears about how to financially make decisions on treatment so as not to bankrupt ourselves after years of working so that we may get to retire. My husband has faced the hard reality that retirement is still a long ways off because health insurance is very EXPENSIVE! We looked into getting our own policies and the price was untouchable. It would bankrupt anyone very quickly. I know some people that are taking their chances and hoping they will not get ill until they can get on Medicare. It is a sad situation.
I read a good article on Cancer.Net about discussing your finances with your health care team. I believe that all patients should be able to discuss with their doctor or someone on the health care team their concerns about what they can afford. It would relieve a lot of anxiety that happens when the medical bills start coming. If you know what to expect and know what resources you can count on, it helps relieve some of the financial burden that so many are left with after treatment.
I think back now on our own situation and I want to believe that the doctor was trying to save us some money by not having my husband see a PA or NP as they really do between doctor visits. However we should have not let what an advocate said to us sway our judgment of what the doctor did. I have always tried hard not to let others influence my own judgment of others, but I must say that under a lot of stress I have surprised my own self. If the doctor was being sincere then we are grateful. I guess we will never know.
One thing that we have learned on this journey is to always have good communication with the health care team and to not let others represent us without us being present. It is our life and we should be a very active participant in the decisions of what will happen.
Life goes on and I hope that sharing my mistakes will help other people have great outcomes with their cancer care. God bless all cancer patients and survivors.
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
The other news in my world is the of course never ending saga of health care. My husband and I were so excited to hear about the new Car T-Cell Therapy and wondered about the cost. So I did some research and of course the price of this is astounding and they are still working on the coverage with the insurance companies. I am happy that we have these new therapies for people that have lost hope when other treatment has failed, but will they be able to afford Car T-Cell Therapy. It also sounds like the therapy does not come without some serious side effects that they are still working on. Why does cancer care always have to cost so much?
I have some friends that are going through cancer treatment now and experiencing the enormous cost that it places on a family. It has brought back a lot of fears for my husband and me. The fears about how to financially make decisions on treatment so as not to bankrupt ourselves after years of working so that we may get to retire. My husband has faced the hard reality that retirement is still a long ways off because health insurance is very EXPENSIVE! We looked into getting our own policies and the price was untouchable. It would bankrupt anyone very quickly. I know some people that are taking their chances and hoping they will not get ill until they can get on Medicare. It is a sad situation.
I read a good article on Cancer.Net about discussing your finances with your health care team. I believe that all patients should be able to discuss with their doctor or someone on the health care team their concerns about what they can afford. It would relieve a lot of anxiety that happens when the medical bills start coming. If you know what to expect and know what resources you can count on, it helps relieve some of the financial burden that so many are left with after treatment.
I think back now on our own situation and I want to believe that the doctor was trying to save us some money by not having my husband see a PA or NP as they really do between doctor visits. However we should have not let what an advocate said to us sway our judgment of what the doctor did. I have always tried hard not to let others influence my own judgment of others, but I must say that under a lot of stress I have surprised my own self. If the doctor was being sincere then we are grateful. I guess we will never know.
One thing that we have learned on this journey is to always have good communication with the health care team and to not let others represent us without us being present. It is our life and we should be a very active participant in the decisions of what will happen.
Life goes on and I hope that sharing my mistakes will help other people have great outcomes with their cancer care. God bless all cancer patients and survivors.
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
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