FOUR CORNERS PROGAM ABC 2 MONDAY NIGHT 8.30

poodlejules

Hi Everyone.I just saw the tail end of an ad for Monday night's Four Corners Program on the ABC , all about 'bill shock' in the medical system,should be interesting! @Janie304 it might help you with your decision

lrb_03

I think I saw the tail end of that ad, too. Thanks for the reminder, I plan to watch it

arpie

Just saw that too, @poodlejules  -  I always tape it anyway ..... so will definitely catch it!! I am up to about $6,000 - what's yours??

poodlejules

Hi @arpie. I went in as private patient through the public system. Overnight after lumpectomy then 5 days due to a throat infection, chemo, radio and 3 weekly herceptin infusions . Just checked and my health fund has paid out about $12,000  but it hasn't cost me anything apart from the usuals like medicines and parking, as the hospital covered my excess and out of pockets. I feel like I have my money's worth now as I've paid out health insurance for over 25 years. But I'm happy to stop claiming now !!!

arpie

@poodlejules
Well done, You!!  I don't think I was emotionally stable enough at the time of diagnosis to discuss options with NIB or different hospitals - my husband has dementia, so wasn't any real help either (he is actually still telling people I had shoulder surgery!! That was 4 years ago!    )    My health fund actually CHARGED me $300 because I went to a Hospital that 'wasn't on their list' - and that was on TOP of their excess of $250 as well!!  We've always paid top level for the 20 years we've been back in Aussie ..... so feel a bit pissed off, actually!  Even my pathology wasn't totally covered!  I had to pay $500 for that as well as it wasn't covered by Medicare or NIB.  Not sure which bit wasn't covered - they were all vital to 'know' .....  There was also a gap with my Ultrasound or Biopsy of about $100 as well - and lots of other bits along the way - plus all the lotions & potions during & after radiation.....

My radiation & Onc are going thru the Public System, which is grateful appreciated!

Josephine66

Ive seen lots of different posts about out of pocket expenses, some really high. My journey to date has been as a public patient as i didnt have private health insurance. My question is... when should i expect to be hit with big expenses?Stressed just wondering how ill pay for it.

lrb_03

Hi @Josephine66, as a public patient you probably won't have big expenses, hopefully just little ones here & there. I had chemo as a public patient & had to pay prescription costs for the chemo & other medication but nothing else. I had surgery as a private patient, so had expenses there, then radiotherapy as a public patient,  no cost. My biggest expense since then has been for the treatment & management of my lymphoedema.  There is a public lymphoedema clinic where I am,  but they don't have capacity to do any lymphatic massage,  which is a major component of my management, and as I'm working & not elligible for a health care card,  I don't get any medicare rebate on my compression garments. That's where my private cover has been worthwhile. 
In many ways, I think public is the way to go for cancer treatmrrnt, as that's where the support services are

arpie

Hi @Josephine66
Try not to worry about it as it probably won't happen! ..... as @lrb_03 said -  if you are/have gone public then you shouldn't get any unexpected bills. 

When I was diagnosed (Jan 5th this year) all the surgeons were still on holidays until mid January - so I wanted to see the first 'best one' that I could - and get on their list immediately.  If I'd gone public, I may not have been able to have the surgeon I chose (if I'd gone 'public' with him, I would have had to wait 3-4 weeks & it would have done my head in!)  So I chose to go private for the surgery & there was a $3,500 gap (but the surgery included reconstruction at the time) and I've had numerous other gaps since with other bits, that have roughly added up to about $6,000 out of pocket (which is small compared to some women's!    )  So I saw him on the 15th Jan, had Sentinel Node Test on the 16th and surgery on the 17th, out of hospital on the 18th.  All good.   

Beryl C.

I have been on treatment for seven years - Herceptin every three weeks, oncology appts, numerous CT Scans, Heart scans, MRI, Bone Scans etc. I made the decision to be a public patient at the very start. In all that time I have only paid for parking. I was very fortunate to have a GP who explained the difference between private and public - he did not advise but said, "I suggest you listen carefully .....................". The decision was mine and there was no influence other than being very well informed.

Sanra

Been public all the way...6mth chemo, double masectomy, now rads, including port surgery. Have the best professor & surgeon here. I was ‘lucky’! I got myself a rare cancer and they all scrambled fast to get it dealt with. Only out of pocket is a few meds & rare scan, plus I hit medicare threshold quickly so less costs too.

Annie C

I have been public since my diagnosis in June 2017. 4 weeks between diagnosis and surgery. My biggest cost has been the costs after reimbursement from the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme administered by WA Country Health. Between June 2017 and October 2017 my savings account was depleted by $5,000. I had 4 return trips (road and air) to Perth. Just seemed like I got home and I had to go back again. I need to allow 7 days and roughly $1,000 for a clinic visit. Being remote really chews through the bank account. There is more to bill shock than medical costs.

iserbrown

Just watched this program. For me and no doubt others a terminology used was cumulative,  sums it up well. It's  all those consults and tests outside the hospital system that all add up!

lrb_03

So true, @iserbrown, cumulative is certauinly the word, as costs are most certainly ongoing. My biggest ongoing cost are those incurred for lymphoedema treatment & management - forever

iserbrown

And damned Anaesthetists. I had one recently that had the office ring me and insisted on a $250 out of pocket prior to service. Turned out he was as rough as guts and I wrote and told him so as well as the surgeon. Where's the duty of care? It's not optional. We are so vulnerable as we enter the theatre.  
Another Anaesthetist I had told me she doesn't do pensioners as I lay on the trolley in the holding bay. I responded by saying well just as well I'm not!
Goodness we can all tell a tale or two 

arpie

@iserbrown

oooh, that was rude!  We are VERY trusting of these people who can kill us, aren’t we?

I still haven’t received my anaesthetist fee!!  If it turns up any day soon, I reckon I’ll ignore it!!  My surger was Jan 17!  4 and a half months ago!

kmakm

@iserbrown @arpue I have been 'blessed' with a technically gifted PS who has all the charm and people skills of a bull ant. I'm happy to say the three anaesthetists I've had have all been pleasant to charming. And none have charged me more than $500 gap. Which still mounts up but compared with some horror stories you hear, isn't too bad.