What Do Cancer Treatment Services Cost?
With 22,000 people diagnosed in Louisiana alone each year, innovative cancer care is close to home at Slidell Memorial Hospital Regional Cancer Center. If you, or a loved one, have been diagnosed with cancer, you may be wondering what cancer treatment will mean for your family financially.
Cancer affects more than your health and your relationships, it affects your finances. Health care insurance, even the very best of policies, won’t entirely cover cancer treatment. But there is hope. For now, it’s important to plan for your treatments’ costs, ask your cancer team relevant questions, and get familiar with your current health insurance plan.
Plan Ahead
Before you begin your cancer treatments, be sure you have a clear understanding about your tests. Common cancer medical expenses include: clinic visits, lab tests, provider costs, imaging tests (like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs), drug costs, radiation treatments, surgery, and home health care, if needed.
Ask Questions
When costs have you feeling overwhelmed, speak with your cancer care team. Don’t just worry. Get answers. Ask how much you will need to pay for each treatment for each procedure or find out your projected total cost.
See if there are alternatives that will go a little easier on your wallet, yet still provide effective care. Discover if your health insurance provider needs to pre-approve any procedures--before you have them done. Learn if there are alternatives to helping to get your expenses paid.
Some drug manufacturers have patient assistance payment plans. For example, oral chemo treatment is much like the IV-drugs used at the hospital, and even have similar success rates. However, the oral chemo is a prescription drug that may be taken at home and could have a staggering co-pay that numbers in the thousands of dollars--that must be paid at pickup.
That’s where a patient assistance plan can come in handy. By learning about other methods of payment, you can help ease the financial burden.
There are a variety of drugs used to treat cancer. Some may be used to minimize pain or anxiety, while others could be to help nausea. Don’t just stick with one pharmacy. Shop around, make some calls, and discover where you can receive the best prices--they do vary. See if there are other versions or a generic brand to save even more.
Health Insurance Know-How
There will be out-of-pocket expenses. When your insurance does cover your procedures or treatments, you will need to keep records, utilize any preferred clinics, doctors, and so on, and understand the terms of your health insurance policy.
Sometimes, you may need to resubmit claims. There may even be times a claim is denied. In that case, you can appeal the claim. Many doctors’ offices and clinics have insurance specialists available to help answer your insurance-related questions.
World Class Cancer Care in Louisiana
When the worst happens, look for the comfort of an award-winning hospital that’s conveniently located. SMH Regional Cancer Center is there. With the latest technology, doctor collaboration, and a centralized location, Gulf South residents in Louisiana, and beyond, have access to unbeatable cancer care.