Blog Post
I had a PET scan at the time of my original diagnosis five years ago. It cost us almost $1000- a huge expense for us at the time, which added considerably to my feelings of guilt around family upheaval.It was recommended by my oncologist, partly because the hospital`s bone scan equipment was out of action. The stress and fear of what that test would unveil is sharp in my memory and I battled tears through the entire process. As a private patient, I copped huge expense at each step of my treatment, except for the chemo. It took my family years to recover financially. Reducing the financial burden of cancer testing and treatment would have such an enormous impact on the mental health and well being of patients and their families. Now I am undergoing treatment again, the discovery that some of the scans and tests are now bulk billed has significantly reduced our stress, Thank you, BCNA for your valuable advocacy in this area.