people.com:
With his usual good humor, Ethan Zohn addresses what he considers the scariest part of being treated for cancer: Dealing with the avalanche of bills that come with modern healthcare.
Tallulah Morehead: Survivor: Samoa: Law & Order: Samoan Psycho Unit.
When we rejoined our merry band of castaways, Russell's stubbly chest hair was already growing back across his pecs. He's actually kind of sexy, in a depraved backwoods psycho-perv way.
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So (read the article) Ethan will end up having to pay $69,000 out of his own pocket for his cancer treatments, EVEN WITH INSURANCE.
Now - very simple question for the conservatives.
Please explain to me how THAT is the "best health care system in the world."
If you are actually able to stick to the point and actually able TO explain it. Be my guest.
spose there is no karma either . . .what a bunch of maroones. . .
Republicans like to say that they don't want a government beuracrat to come between you and your doctor. But I guess it's ok for many insurance company beuracrats to come between you and your doctor. Anyone who thinks we have the best health care system in the world is seriously deluded. Before I lost my job $414.00 per month was being deducted from my paychecks to cover myself and my son. Now I have no job, no insurance and a bad heart valve. I don't think that any tax increase I would have had to pay to cover all Americans would have cost nearly as much as what I was paying for private insurance.
If only more people had your gift for mathematics. If a family spends $12,000 a year on insurance now, but could instead pay $6,000 more in taxes next year, they'd come out $6,000 ahead AND be guaranteed coverage, regardless of their condition. Why is this so hard for people to understand?
Single Payer needs to be back on the table.
That makes perfect sense...wh
I had a very aggressive form of breast cancer in 1994 when I was 33. Lucky for me I had awesome doctors who were very proactive and I had an HMO. The doctors saved my life and the HMO saved my financial health since all treatment was approved and covered 100%. The nightmare begins later; since I now have a pre-existing condition I can't get private health care insurance. Even if I have the money to pay they won't give it to me. With the economy a mess I will most likely lose my job in the next month. Guess I'll sign up for Cobra, but what if that runs out before I get a job with benefits? If my coverage lapses I'll get no care for pre-existing conditions. Who makes up these rules? I am desperate for Health Care Reform.
Feel better Ethan!
Once upon a time I worked for an insurance company. They are corrupt from the top down. Let me point out a few of the tactics sanctioned by the company during my season in purgatory:
1. Encouraged the use of "legalese" in benefit handbooks so policyholders wouldn't understand their benefits or rights (such as your right to negotiate extra-contractual coverage--betcha' didn't even know you could, huh?).
2. Encourage call center employees to not advise policyholders of the appeal process when their claims were rejected.
3. Encourage brokers and agents to sell each policy as being "top of the line" coverage, even when it was among the worst policies (high deductibles and co-insurance with plenty of exclusions).
4. Reject thousands of applicants a year based on pre-existing conditions, even for things like allergies.
5. Drop people from coverage, even while in the midst of cancer treatment.
6. Buy employees silence with bonuses and gifts--all paid for with policyholders hard earned money. When I worked for the evil empire, every last one of us received bonuses and gifts. That was over 2,000 employees back then. It cost millions.
I got out. I have a conscience. Another sickening by-product of this corporate culture is the greed, selfishness and cutthroat nature it creates in its employees. It also puts good people in awful positions-
Thank you for that insight.
And THAT'S how our current health care system is run by private, for-profit health insurance companies.
Such a great system, huh conservatives?
I have a very rare and very aggressive cancer called Angiosarcoma. Im 26 and otherwise perfectly healthy, lead and active livestyle and eat well.
Because of insurance hurdles and referrals I have been waiting an incredible amount of time for each treatment to take place. With one of the most aggressive cancers you can get and needing specialists that only exist in 3 states... the waiting thing has been horrible. My doctors are in constant fights with the insurance company to get me treatment in a timely manner.
Aside from dying... I am mostly terrified of the medical bills. They wont be enough to bankrupt me... but I guess crippling debt is okay.
Doctors are fine... insurance is the problem. I am a number... not a person.
sorry to hear about your illness.. I know you must find it difficult to hear politicians shout about government coming between you and your doctor but they have no problem with an Insurance company CEO between you and your doctor.
I think I'd rather have the government between me and my doctors... for some reason I think that might be slightly more altruistic than having a for profit company deciding if I am worth saving.
I have a friend who had thyroid cancer at age 28. She's doing well now, (thankfully) but struggling with piles of medical debt. I know you're sick, but please continue to tell your story. I think that some younger people are not as engaged on this issue as they should be, simply because they have not required any major medical care at this point in their lives. Preventive care and healthy lifestyle choices are great, but they don't do much to deal with the "$hit happens" part of the equation. Everyone needs to understand that it CAN happen to them. Good luck and be strong. Thanks for speaking up! :)
I will, I do, I have.
Everyone around me knows. I make sure of it.
I am a PICTURE of perfect health. I ride my bike to work every day even.... and, I have cancer. It can happen to anyone at anytime at any age.
Ten years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My treatment was partially covered by insurance, My out of pocket costs were about $20,000. Many of us have good insurance plans until we actually need the insurance. Then you find out exactly how much coverage you have. It's rarely enough. $800 for 30 pills. Let me tell you from experience, when you puke one of those puppies into the toilet, you go after it. You can't afford not to.
Since the last chemo didn't work they are going for a weekly chemo treatment for 6 months. Zofran and that other one that starts with a C didn't do ANYTHING to keep me from tossing my cookies... the only thing that works for me is Emend... its $400 for 3 pills.... and no generics.
One more time.... weekly chemotherapy for 6 months.... $400 for 3 pills.
Damn.
As a person suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer and no insurance, I can identify with all.
The pre-op and biopsy, doctor's visits, tests, and labs cost $34,000 before I got to the hospital - CASH!
Before I was admitted to the hospital for surgery, they wanted and got $9,000 up front for the room for three days.
The hospital bill for a 54 hour stay, including the OR, was $98,000 and they said I was given a charity discount.
The surgeon took $8,800 up front before he would agree to the surgery.
The gas passer wanted $2,300 cash to knock me out for a few hours.
The pathology labs and misc. expenses added another $12,000.
PSA after surgery - 0.01... oh happy day, I'm destitute, but can at least live out my life in a refrigerator crate under a bridge.
Three months later PSA 7.6 and climbing..
As of June 30th, bills are approaching $248,000 some paid, most not. And I still have 2 more months of Chemotherapy.
If that doesn't work, I'm off to hormone therapy or physical castration to gain time/delay death for, maybe 6 years. Some hormones cost $20,000 per injection and the pharmacy will want cash up front.
We are all doomed!
I'm in a similar boat it was really fun when my chemotherapy didn't work... but I HAVE insurance. I just owe about half of your crippling debt. Which... by my current monetary income I will never pay off.
Get an IOU on the tax credit that the Republicans are going to give you next year. And if it doesn't amount to $23,000 send the bill McConnel, McCain, Cantor, ....
Just being sarcastic.
correction
This is a fantastic sh*tstorm of amazing feedback.
Ethan is one of nearly 70,000 Americans between 15-40 are diagnosed with cancer each year.Unlik
Young adults also face unique issues that are not currently being met by the current continuum of care including fertility, isolation, insurance, dating/sexuality, financial assistance, education, employment and age-appropriate peer support such as social networking, both off and online. The last 30 years of cancer 'progress' have failed the next generation of survivors so there is no reason to think the next 30 will be any different unless change happens now.
Healthcare reform NOW!
Matthew Zachary
13-Year Young Adult Survivor
Founder/CEO
I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation
email: i2y.comcom
web: http://i2y
twitter: http://twi
facebook: http://fac
They should make a follow-up to this story in a couple of years— An Even Scarier Part of Getting Cancer: Finding out your cancer is too far along because the government healthcare took 7 months to get your screening done.
So, tc, you' d rather get a screening thru your insured health provider and then be denied the care/coverage you paid for? Chances are your not going to get that screening in time anyhow because your insurance won't cover it. Get with the program here. You pay thru the nose for coverage and when you try to use it you aren't covered.
BTW, I'm starting my next round of chemo on the 19th. I've had leukemia (CML) since 1990, and had a bone marrow transplant in 1991. I was very lucky, unemployed at the time, my treatment was experimental. I risked my life for a cure for me and many many others. Not many get to be a test case, and it works out, as I said I was lucky. I'm sixty now, I have Non small cell lung cancer, I lost two lobes of my right lung June 2nd. My government run health care (medicare and state run medicade) have paid all my bills. This round, so far totals over 15,000.00$ and I don't know the charges for the chemo yet.
I'm lucky, ya, I'm real lucky, I hope you will be too.
I'm pleased with my healthcare provider AND my insurance. Oh, my family also falls below the 'poverty line' and therefore qualifies for all sorts of bribes- er, I mean government assistance if we wanted to accept their bribes (which we don't).
Wow. Just, wow.
I was diagnosed with one of the rarest and most aggressive cancers. I have insurance. After all was said and done I started treatment 4 months after I was diagnosed BECAUSE of insurance hoops an hurdles.
I had no spread when I was diagnosed and by the time I started treatment it was in my lungs. Thanks insurance! You've been ever so helpful. /sarcasm.
I would LOVE it if you said your above comment to my face. I'm sure the tubes hanging out of my chest would only bolster your confidence
It is so grossly overcharged !! Amazing !
Okay, I take it back...the video worked this time. Sorry about that, but my point remains the same and he's absolutely right in what he is saying.
Hmmm, I went to the link and the video had been taken down. The health care industry strikes again? Having seen my deceased sister in the same boat as Ethan with her medical bills, I truly feel for him and wish him the best in dealing with his illness and the horrible vultures in the health care industry. Get well and keep speaking up!
If you don't have health insurance, god help you. If you do & you're chged $23,000 for 2 rounds of chemo, god help you. But god loves the USA. I saw that on a bumper sticker w/ flags & yellow ribbons on the car. So don't worry. Don't worry much.
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First Posted: 08- 6-09 08:48 AM | Updated: 09- 6-09 05:12 AM