Cancer treatment can save most lives but many can't afford it.

[avaistheone1]

Cancer was once assumed to be a death sentence because the disease was often incurable, but a new survey suggests the crisis for many today is paying for available treatments.

"It is a big surprise that 20 percent of people with health insurance can't afford to have the cancer therapy they need to save their lives," said John Seffrin of the American Cancer Society.

continued
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/05/cancer.spending/index.html



This is terrible you can't get cancer treatment WITH insurance.
And kiss your ass goodbye if don't have insurance at all.

[anonymous171]

1. If there was a way to steal that treatment and dispense it to the needy.

I would support it. Health Insurance companies are parasites and deserve no profit.

[avaistheone1]

2. I would too. Remember, Bush wanted to outlaw people getting their prescription drugs from Canada.

The government makes you an outlaw for wanting affordable health care.

Looks like that will continue.

[dflprincess]

11. The irony being that big pharma claimed the drugs from Canada might not be safe

Most generics sold in the U.S. are made in India or China - doesn't that just make you feel secure about your medication?

[Cha]

3. Sorry, it hasn't saved a lot of

lives of the people who have money and insurance to spare.

I'm not saying that it couldn't save the lives of the people who can't afford it.

[Lars39]

4. It's not just the cost of the treatments, it's also the cost of the tests.

If you've got decent insurance you are subjected to a whole slew of tests. No insurance, or really bad coverage and you won't get the tests you need for adequate treatment. My brother has no insurance and was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of prostate cancer. He has yet to have a PET scan, even though he needs it so he can be properly staged for the correct treatment. I would think it would be kinda important to know whether it has spread to his major organs, or how extensive the cancer is, but because he has no insurance, he is getting the bare minimum in treatment. It's heartbreaking.

[avaistheone1]

5. I am truly sorry. This kind of tragedy should not happen

in the so called greatest and most powerful nation on earth.

Has he tried going to the social worker at the hospital to see if can qualify for one of their low-income programs? I think every hospital has to have these programs if they receive federal funds.
But how generous the programs are I don't know.

[Lars39]

6. Thank you.

It is so awful to watch this unfold. He's in one of the low-income programs, and that is the extent of it. :( I think he's in a catch-22 right now, where he can't get disability (with resultant health care)unless he's staged correctly, and he can't get staged correctly without the PET scan.

[avaistheone1]

7. How convenient for the "system". They don't have to pay as long

as he is stuck in Catch 22.

Does the social worker know that he is stuck. A good social worker often knows how to pull the levers to make the system work. The social worker might assume he is getting treatment if he does not keep her in the loop of what is going on.

[Lars39]

8. I don't know.

But that's an excellent question for them to ask. I'll forward that to my brother. Thanks!

[avaistheone1]

10. I bet the social worker has seen this before, and

knows just what to do.

Your welcome and all the best to your brother.

[madamesilverspurs]

9. I spent one year

working in the insurance business. I'll spend the rest of my life seeking forgiveness for that. The industry exists for the sole purpose of making money. Period. There is no manipulation too devious if they can make a dime from it. And there is absolutely no excuse for the continuing power wielded by their lobby in Washington.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. It would be really great if former insiders in the industry would discuss

what really goes on. I recall reading about some company that based bonuses on the amount of claims that had been sucessfully denied. That's just wrong. I can't imagine how someone could sleep at night if that was how they were expected to fulfill their job obligations.

edit - I don't mean to imply that you did anything like that in your former job. I think it's fantastic that you recognized and got out of a toxic situation. Some jobs will literally kill your soul.