| | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 716 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) |  "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 716 | David,
Just to let you know...Your wife's creative bookkeeping has been a real treat...I almost forgot where I was...I haven't laughed like this in weeks...Thank you...thank you...thank you!
Raymond
7-16-08 age 37@Dx, T3N0M0 SCC 4.778cm tumor, left side of oral tongue, non smoker, casual drinker, I am the 4th in my family to have H&N cancer
8-13-08 left neck dissection and 40% of tongue removed, submandibular salivary gland & 14 nodes clean, no chemo, IMRTx35
11-4-08 Recovering & feeling better
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 |
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Well lets hope the dry mouth will continue to improve and with it your taste. I always saw improving taste and improving dry mouth going hand in hand together. Wow 135 at 5'11" and I thought I was skinny at 5'7" with the same weight. When I was still trying to gain weight the VHC was always there. It was a quick way to pour down 560 cals when my taste and appetite sucked. Good luck and remember I didn't start to really see a big improvement until I was 16 months post so you have a ways to go.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Brian,
CT scans for $1200? I just checked my 2008 bills from HUP. MRI $8481 +$1938 for radiologist. CT brain $8481 +$1938 for radiologist and CT scan abdomin $5296 +$1938 for radiologist. Is the east coast really that much more expensive than California?
Take care,
Eileen
----------------------
Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Hah, maybe my wife is correct?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 56 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 56 | I just checked the Blue Cross site, and the average cost of an MRI in the U.S. is roughly $2000. Brian could be right. http://www.bcbs.com/coverage/basics/cost/ | | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | I have to pay for my stuff out of pocket. I know what I am paying. There is little doubt that the medical system in the US inflates prices knowing that they will have to negotiate down to the insurance companies.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 939 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 939 | Exactly, I was just going to post that there is a big delta between the billed amount and what the insurance pays as a contracted amount.
I always thought it was odd that our co-pay was the same for an x-ray ($35) as it was for an MRI, CT, or PET. Aetna wised up this year on our policy, so now it is $200 for any of those.
Deb
Deb..caregiver to husband, age 63 at diagnosis, former smoker who quit in 1997.
DIAGNOSIS: 6/26/07 SCC right tonsil/BOT T4N0M0
TREATMENT START: 8/9/07 cisplatin/taxol X 7..IMRT twice daily X 31.5.
TREATMENT END: 10/1/07
PEG OUT: 1/08
PORT OUT: 4/09
FOLLOWUP: Now only annual exams. ALL CLEAR!
Passed away 1/7/17 RIP Bill
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OP Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | No way was David billed TWO MILLION dollars especially without any surgery. As Brian noted, the 250 THOUSAND dollar price I was "charged" was much more than Blue Cross/Blue Shield payed, yet I kept all my bills and added them up myself. The CCC was a preferred provider so it agreed to accept BC/BS lower payments. It was astonishing how many separate bills I got for each procedure: up to 5 for each chemo, and at least three for each MRI.
Other readers of this forum may get scared of getting the treatment they need if their insurance is not so great and they don't get David's wicked sense of humor. I repeat: just radiation, chemo, PETSCANS and MRI's do NOT cost two million dollars for the type of treatment David and I had.
65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 598 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 598 | Also keep in mind that these artifically high "retail" prices set the stage for some pretty hefty tax breaks, depending upon how they structure things.
Jeff
SCC Right BOT Dx 3/28/2007
T2N2a M0G1,Stage IVa
Bilateral Neck Dissection 4/11/2007
39 x IMRT, 8 x Cisplatin Ended 7/11/07
Complete response to treatment so far!!
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