Insured Cancer Patients Face High Costs

[Shardik]

Source: WebMD

By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Feb. 5, 2009 -- Americans diagnosed with cancer face the risk of high medical costs even though they have insurance policies, warns a new report.

The report, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society, concludes that many patients wind up liable for high medical bills because of coverage gaps and caps on spending in their insurance policies. Those gaps may be growing as rising health care costs force insurers to put stricter limits on spending and pass more costs onto patients.

"I do think that alarm bells should ring if people with cancer -- significant numbers of people with cancer -- are having the kinds of problems that we document in this study," says Drew Altman, PhD, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The report doesn't offer statistics on how many of the estimated 685,000 adults under the age of 65 diagnosed with cancer each year confront financial difficulties because of their illnesses.

Read more: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20090205/insured-cancer-patients-face-high-costs

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But we can't be mega profitable if we have to pay out claims...

[OhioChick]

1. This is wrong on so many levels.

K&R

[SharonAnn]

8. Most personal bankruptcy is insured people because of their medical bills.

Think of that. People have to declare bankruptcy, even though they have medical insurance, because of their out-of-pocket costs for their medical bills.

This was from a Harvard study several years ago by Dean Elizabeth Warren, now the Congressional TARP Oversight head. She was on Rachel Maddow tonight. Great lady, smart as heck, and an awesome fighter.

[sandyd921]

2. Plus they face losing their insurance n/t

[liberalhistorian]

11. And their jobs as well, or great difficulty in

finding jobs.

[sandnsea]

3. No shit? Well knock me over

with a feather.

Next they're going to issue a report that says heart attack patients face the risk of high medical costs even though they have insurance policies.

:argh:

[OhioChick]

4. Someone posted a list of pre-existing conditions

from several insurance companies. I was amazed....allergies, colds, ear infections, etc.

I rememeber that most members on that thread said they'd never get coverage.

[liberalhistorian]

12. That's the whole point of that bullshit-

they want to take your money but want to make it so that they don't have to pay for anything. These goddamn fucking insurance companies are killing us left and right and now they're touted as the "solution" for health care reform?? I don't fucking think so.

[RobinA]

18. Pre-Existing Condition

Doesn't necessarily mean you don't get coverage, it means you don't get coverage for the condition. An ear infection isn't going to keep you from getting coverage. The best way of avoiding this is to keep coverage of some kind, with no breaks, if at all possible. Not always possible, I know.

[Moostache]

5. I am one of them...

Due to my cancer diagnosis and surgery in 2008, I am pretty much stuck with my current employer until either 1) I die or 2) they lay me off or fire me...thanks to the Wall Street criminals and their Bush-administration enablers and accomplices, my retirement savings are less than 50% of what they once were so that pretty much takes that option off the table...

Thankfully for me, I was given a positive diagnosis in October and told that my follow-up exam and testing would be scheduled for October of 2009 instead of May...but if I lose my job between now and then there is pretty much no chance that I will be able to afford the COBRA payments to keep the insurance active and won't qualify for insurance ever again through another provider...my personal bottom line is that unless we get universal health care in this country, I forever live one day away from being un-insured and un-insurable...

[iamjoy]

7. Not Exactly...You May Have Some Protection

The HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act places some restrictions on the types of pre-existing conditions group health policies can exclude. As long as you maintain insurance coverage and do not have a gap of more than 60 days, a group plan (such as an employer plan) can't refuse to cover you or your pre-existing conditions.

If you have a gap in coverage of more than 60 days, a group plan can impose pre-existing condition exclusions, but even that is limited to 18 months. The new employer, or insurance company, can require proof of prior coverage. The plan administrator of a group plan is required to provide this documentation when some one loses coverage. Keep in mind, this only applies to group plans, and some small companies may be exempt. Of course, I realize the irony of the need to maintain coverage - if you lose your job and have no income, you probably can't afford COBRA. In this economy, the chances of finding a new one with coverage within 60 days is pretty slim. Still, you should know your rights.

ALSO - if you lose your job the company has to notify you of your COBRA rights within 45 days. If not, there are strict penalties that accrue by day. And guess what, while part of the fee gets paid to the government, the Qualified Beneficiary (that's you!) may be entitled to compensation as well. If anyone ever feels screwed over by a former employer and wants to get back at them, keep that in mind. Of course, the fee isn't so great that a lawyer would take it and the Department of Labor is probably too understaffed to follow up on "petty" claims.

Hey, I don't mean to sound insensitive or pedantic. I'm a cancer survivor too and my husband has high blood pressure. We could do without my income for a few months if we had to, but we'd be in a world of hurt if I lost my job because we need the health insurance my company provides.

[ReadTomPaine]

6. Strike down the weak first. They are easy conquests.

It's just the business of health care in the 21st century, nothing personal.

[Booster]

9. I have a friend who had breast cancer 22 years ago and has

been fine. Because she was self-employed, she bought "catastrophic insurance" at a very hefty monthly premium and has had it for years. The cancer came back a couple of months ago and has attacked her spine. Her treatments, when she has them, are $21,000 a week and she found out her insurance only pays if she's in the hospital, and most of her treatments have been done in the doctor's office. She had to have her spine cemented because it was shattering and it was $44,000, again apparently not an overnight stay in the hospital. She said she just piles the bills up in one place and doesn't pay them because she doesn't have that kind of money. How can any procedure that doesn't include a lenghty hospital stay possibly cost $44,000? There will NEVER be a cure for cancer, diabetes, etc as long as they can get away with charging these amounts for treatment. Very sad.

[Donnachaidh]

17. how the heck do they work on a spine in day surgery?

That's just OBSCENE. I don't know what pisses me off more about that -- the insurance company that didn't pay the bill or the doctor that agreed to the treatment as day surgery. :wow:

[Stellabella]

10. Hey, my dh had cancer when he was 25, 24 years ago.

We had 'insurance' then, good insurance from his full time job. And they only paid 80%. AND kept denying bills because it was 'above the median price for our area', whatever the hell that means.

Of course, we were too young and scared to fight them - how do you go about 'pricing' cancer care, anyway, and why should you when you're so overwhelmed just by the diagnosis?

I think insurance company execs should burn in hell. Why nobody has 'gone postal' in an insurance company is puzzling.

[liberalhistorian]

13. It's bad enough for those with coverage,

but imagine what it's like for those WITHOUT insurance! If they can't qualify for Medicaid or aren't old enough for Medicare, they're screwed. Too many can't even find care without large amounts of money upfront.

And the newest trick with cancer clinics and hospitals is demanding thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars upfront EVEN IF you're insured!! Beyond disgusting.

[rocktivity]

14. Candidate for this year's "You Call This NEWS?" Award

And of course that's assuming that your cancer ISN'T a pre-existing condition. To figure this out, somebody had to do a STUDY?

:eyes:
rocktivity

[quidam56]

15. We need a Cure for Health Care,

In East Tennessee, Profit Care comes before Patient Care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com Horrifying care = Acceptable care.

[eridani]

20. We need a cure for private insurance companies n/t

[Donnachaidh]

16. Kaiser -- wasn't this the group that told Ehrlichmann in the 70's

That HMO's were the perfect way to charge people more by delivering LESS health care? And here we have them saying they can't seem to charge cancer patients enough..... :puke:

[eridani]

19. DUUUUUUUHHH!

As Michael Moore demonstrated in SiCKO. That whore Gupta is fine with that. More big bux from his paymasters.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

21. B-b-b-but if we had national health care, we might have to WAIT for

a knee replacement. :sarcasm:

(NOTE: Several of the people at my gym have had knee or hip replacements and ALL of them had to schedule several months in advance.)

[Mind_your_head]

22. Simple. Find/fund the CURE......FIND THE CURE

stop making people suffer!

If it's "stem-cell research", then DO IT!

STOP MAKING PEOPLE SUFFER! Your mother, your grandmother, your brother, your son, YOU, in fact!!!! How much longer can this CHARADE go on!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

[question everything]

23. And this is why people declare bankruptcy - when they can do it

because of high medical expenses.