Costs of Chemo?

elisewjk

Hi Everyone, I'm (luckily) not at this stage just yet... but I was wondering, could anyone please enlighten me as to the costs involved with chemo treatment please?All guidance, much appreciated. Cheers 

Lvlw

hi, my chemo was covered as an in-patient cost with my private healthcare so i just had to pay for hospital excess. Lxx

Blossom1961

Public patient. No cost for chemo treatment

kmakm

Same as @Lvlw. Once I'd paid my excess it was at no further cost at my local private hospital. Radio therapy is the one that trips people up. It can cost a fortune in the private system. Free in the public.

Sister

I never paid a cent for chemo in the private system as I had insurance and had already paid my annual in-hospital access for surgery.  Public would have been free (and I might even have had the same surgeon).  As @kmakm says, do be careful about rads, though as insurance doesn't cover it and it costs thousands in the private sector.

Kiwi Angel

Mine was paid through my private health insurance. Just had to pay for my neulasta injection. 

kezmusc

Public.  Free chemo and rads, same oncologist and radonc as the private patients in a private hospital. Free antiemetics, antihistamines from hospital pharmacists, free lunch   $38 for Neulasta injection of which I only had one.  

Zoffiel

If you don't have access to a public oncologist--they are rare in regional areas--you will have to pay for the cost of seeing a private one. Out of pocket for that around here is about $140 per visit, but the actual chemo treatment doesn't cost anything.

You will have to pay for any discharge meds, which can be pricey. A hint here, get any prescriptions filled at a discount pharmacy; hospital pharmacies charge the full PBS rates which can be considerably more expensive than you will pay elsewhere.

Flaneuse

@elisewjk I didn't pay a cent for chemo in the public system. Nor for the injections (otherwise very expensive) I needed to have the day after (because I got an infection on the first round).

Silba

Hi

Same as some of the others once the excess was paid with health insurance no other cost apart from medication scripts.

Oncologist usually tell you which hospital they prefer to work from.

elisewjk

Thanks so much everyone for sharing, that really helps me. Cheers