Radiation Costs

I am going to start radiation in about 3 months time. Financially so far it has been difficult keeping our private health cover going and have had quite a lot of out of pocket expense. Fortunately the day hospital chemo treatments have been covered (once the hospital excess was paid for the year) but we heard it could cost around $4000 for radiation which is not covered. So have explained to our Oncologist who will agree to us having the radiation treatment through the public system.

I have been advised to go through the public system for radiation, even though I am doing everything else through the private system. I believe some hospital cover does cover some of the costs of radiation, but you need to be on a high level and different funds may be different.

I start tomorrow and am going public everyone at the cancer centre attached to the hospital are wonderful x

Thanks for all your response,  I will be speaking to my doctor and asking to go public. Just wish I had been given the option. 

I had mine done via the public system (I don't have private cover).   The people were absolutely lovely, very professional, and I honestly don't know what else you would get by going privately.

Wow thats alot... I went through the public system and they were wonderful. 
@Pammy46 all the best for today! 
Rita xo

Goodness that sounds like a lot of out of pocket!  Yes I have private insurance and yes I encounter out of pocket which make me cringe sometimes.  Perhaps you need to reconsider and find out the option of going public and how long before an appointment!  Rots your socks when you try and look after yourself and it feels like a penalty for having health insurance.
Take care xx

Yep, they will charge you at least that privately. Bloody pirates. The mercinary shitbags up here even had the hide to ask for payment on the day. Public can be a pain in the backside if you have to travel for it, but most public radiotherapy providers have subsidised accommodation available.

I was very happy with my Private radiotherapy and could still work for the full 6 weeks.  Public was over an hour away and would have made working difficult and added to the fatigue and stress.  I think these private clinics need to be more open and honest about what their fees are.  You cannot find out what the fees are until you have an appointment with the radiation oncologist.  You get told at the end of the appointment what the costs are - if you can't afford it you would then have to start again and get on the wait list for public.  They wouldn't even give me a "ball park" figure.  The OOP was $3000 for 6 weeks but this was reduced to $500 if you were a pensioner.  They did have a payment plan so you didn't have to come up with full cost up front.  I gave them this feedback about transparency - not sure if they took any notice.

I went private for everything except radiation my surgeon said go public .so l did at peter mac first class treatment