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Costs of SRT using the two most used methods?

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Posted 9/5/2010 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
Anyone tell me what the cost of a full round- say 38 treatments of either IMRT or IGRT is, total costs? I realize there's differences in costs in different areas of the country and there's a insurance billed cost, an insurance paid cost and a no insurance- cash paid cost. I can't recall reading any costs being stated here. Anyway, what was your costs, if you don't mind me prying? smilewinkgrin
Posted 9/5/2010 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
I THINK you are looking at $40,000-$60,000 depending on the equipment used and the treatment program you require...

But there is one way to find out for sure. ASK your radiation oncologist. Also ask that they get pre-approval from your insurance company. Then you will KNOW what your co-pay will be.
Posted 9/5/2010 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Fairwind, but I haven't gotten to the stage of having a rad doc to ask...lol smilewinkgrin I have a decision to make in Oct. about what insurance I want for next year, one that pays 90/10 and costs $300 a month more or a 80/20 that is that amount less. That 3600 could make a difference, if the SRT costs is small enough. I am gonna contact one soon and get the estimates started.
Posted 9/5/2010 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
James,

The list price on my 39 zaps of SRT were almost $3,000 a piece, and that did not count the planning, etc. that goes along with it. So that would be almost 120k just for the zaps. I don't know what they settled for, all I know, is I never had to pay a cent out of pocket for the SRT, not even a single co-pay.

Also, we had the Aflac cancer insurance, they wish they never knew me at this point, they paid us $300 per day per zap or each of the 39 zaps, that was close to 12,000 tax free and in our pockets. Least I got something for my trouble.

10 years ago when I had the mouth/throat radiation, it was much more expensive, it was well over $5,000 per day.

David
Posted 9/5/2010 11:10 PM (GMT 0)

i think mine cost about $1600 a session, or about $200 a minute. but there were others costs as well. 

F8

Posted 9/5/2010 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
James, I am a member of a HMO so I don't know if this makes a difference. My billed radiation was $99K, my HMO agreed charge paid was $68K and my out of pocket was just a few hundred (I couldn't find all receipts due to just putting them on a CC). I just reviewed my insurance policy, it states that radiation and chemo does not have a co-pay so this appears why I don't have many personal bills.

Good luck, my experience wasn't half bad.

Jake
Posted 9/5/2010 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
James -

was working on bills this weekend - "Labor" day, as it were.
My total billed IGRT, Calypso, and directly-related visits looks to have come out at $105,000. Mind you the insurance adjusted a lot, and I have an out of pocket cap ($9K), but I sure exhausted that early on.

Post Edited (142) : 9/5/2010 9:43:36 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/6/2010 12:51 AM (GMT 0)
My SRT is 3,091 per treatment for 38 treatments. The full cost is over $4.000, but insurance just pays $3.091. This does not include planning and periodic meetings with rad oncologist. This is truly big money.
Posted 9/6/2010 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
I could be wrong about this, but most Medicare plans only cover 80% of radiation therapy...

The machines, the building they are housed in, the staff that attends to them, the planning that goes into each persons treatment, the profit demand that must be supported, this can add up to big bucks...
Posted 9/6/2010 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
The Rad Onco billed out my 32 treatments at about $3,000 per to BCBS. My out of pocket was $0. My Medicare Advantage plan administered by BCBS covered 100% of the RT, planning etc included.
Roger
Posted 9/7/2010 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi James,

Total cost including hospital fee, urologist, radiation oncologist, beacon implants, mapping CT scan and 45 IGRT/IMRT treatments using Varian machine was $44,000. This was a discounted cost since I was uninsured.

Best to you.

Don

Posted 9/7/2010 10:51 AM (GMT 0)
My insurance company was billed $1405 per session. WOW that is a lot of money when I sit back and think about it.

peace to you
Dale
Posted 9/7/2010 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
 

James,

Between Medicare and AARP they actually paid 106,000 for 35 treatments.  I did  not pay anything out of pocket.  I guess if I had to pay I might not have been able to do it, but then again it did not work anyway.

Jerry1

Posted 9/7/2010 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
If you get into a jam paying for this stuff, help IS available..You just have to go looking for it..There are all kinds of agencies and foundations, charitable organizations, that, when prodded, will take some or all of the load off..That's why these safety nets are in place, so you don't have to lose your home to pay for radiation treatments..But you pretty much have to be broke before they will step in...

When my daughter Ann was fighting her battle with breast cancer, a local BC charitable organization picked up her mortgage payments when things got rough and our families cash reserves were pretty much depleted...
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