Call out for anyone living in Queensland who has experienced out of pocket costs for breast MRIs

Marianne_BCNA

Hi everyone,
I have another call out for someone interested in talking to the media! There is so much interest at the moment in breast cancer related stories so we want to make the most of this. This time a senior journalist with a major paper is wanting to run a story on the lack of rebates for  breast MRI and wants to interview a Qld woman. If you live in Qld and were left out of pocket for your MRIs and are interested in speaking to the media about your experience please direct message me
Thanks!

PatsyN

@Marianne_BCNA - I live on the border so to speak and had both my MRI's in Qld at a cost of $500 each. One before chemo and another one 3 weeks into chemo. I could not have gone without them!

Zoffiel

You'd be perfect @PatsyN , as long as you meet the journo's criteria. Get on that hay-burner and go on a crusade!

Marianne_BCNA

Thanks @PatsyN! I garee with @Zoffiel. We had someone else kindly offer but I'm not sure where things are at so I'll pass your details onto our media manager.

PatsyN

@Zoffiel - I'd love to go on a crusade to let everyone know how hard and lonely things can get during breast cancer treatment.
To be asked for money to save yourself seems odd - like just go and die if you can't afford it.
I've forked out well over $10,000 in the last 12 months for scans and radiation.
I have no insurance for my body, house or car. I don't believe in insurance. It's just another wager that you're making with someone (usual a corporate giant). I'm sure I've saved a fortune and that my 'self insurance' has paid off, lol.

After my second MRI (at the same place in Qld) I left with tears streaming down my face due to the appalling treatment I received. I have issues with some of the private radiology clinics. The staff at private clinics rarely get a vein first time round and I had 6 months of chemo with no port, so good are my veins, according to the chemo nurses. They never had to have a 2nd or 3rd go, unlike many in the private sector.

PatsyN

@Marianne_BCNA - For future reference I'd be happy to offer my services - I have a media background, but don't know how useful I am to you living where I do and it's been over 20 years now since I left publishing. Everything is digital now.

How I loved the sound of the presses printing out your magazine, the beauty of the assembled pages, each page taking hours to layout. Corrections done line by line. Cancer has made me very nostalgic, probably cause I can't remember yesterdays, lol.

Wildplaces

Marianne,

I had two private MRI on the GC - I was out of pocket $500 each time.
I was 48 at diagnosis (2016) - the Mammogram/ultrasound I had was reported as BiRADs 2 - the final note on it said suggest biopsy a left sided fibroadenoma at 3 o'clock or rescan in 12 months. I didn't settle for that, the report just read wrong to me and I pushed for an MRI - ten days later a 4.9 cm IDC separate lesion at 12 o'clock plus nodes came out of my left chest. 

I am of normal BMI and a 12B chest so hard to say anything got lost. I do have (had) dense breast tissue - it is one of the main reasons Mammogram/ Ultrasound do not have a high specificity/sensitivity in the under 50s. At the very least MRIs should be gov subsidised in the under 50s needing screening.

I imagine I am not the only one....

sandramj

I would love to talk to media regarding out of pocket GAP payments as I paid approx $7000 from timeif diagnosis to and including lumpectomy for tests and surgery. AND we pay $480 a month to Medibank Private for top hospital and extras. 
I have a detailed list of those expenses. And now realise how & why it happened that way.  My breast surgeon charged about $3000 GAP for surgery then did not tick any “bulk bill” boxes on ANY testseven though I’m on a seniors pension and have not paid gaps for blood or other tests before since having a pension card. 
South Coast Radiology are the major xray, ultra sound, MRI company on the Gold Coast yet not all of their premises ‘recognise’ pension or health care card holders. ????  
I have just last week been admitted into the public breast care team and already they’ve given me more info and help that I’d had in the private system.  
For the future I’ll be going public and using our Medibank Private benefits in the public hospitals.  I’ve never had a breast care nurse for the year + in private system but have mobile numbers and hospital numbers for 24/7 help. They do their check ups every 3 months also. And FTEE MRI, bone scans, ultra sounds, FNA ETC ETC. AND they supply free bras, compression sleeves and do lymphoma massages and showed me how to do the lymphatic drainage.  
Im converted to public health. Expensive health people & tests aren’t always best. You don’t always get what you PAY for.   

Marianne_BCNA

Thanks everyone for your responses - I have passed your details onto our media manager 
I'll keep you all posted re how it goes!