MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'insurance woes'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:51:08 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483076&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fmy-photos-in-the-sunday-seattle-times.html Carol Ostrom got in touch with me last week for a story she was writing about WSHIP, the Washington state health insurance pool, or high risk pool, which used to be my insurance plan until I went on Medicare. I have to say, Medicare makes WSHIP look good. In fact, it makes it look fabulous, but I was still amused to be asked to say something positive about WSHIP because I battled with them for years, and even lobbied in the state capitol to get the lifetime cap on benefits raised from $1 million to $2 million (We were successful.)That was back in the day when my treatment was costing $300,000 a year, and I would have burned through my benefits in just a few years. I don't know what it costs now, to be honest. Anyway, here's the link to the story:Health Care Law Will Alt... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483076 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:55:32 +0100 3483076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425087&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fbeing-a-woman-a-preexisting-condition.html Now, I don't have much respect for health insurance companies, having battled with them for something like 11 years now, but here is something that I missed, I'm embarrassed to say: Health insurance companies have been charging women higher rates when they buy individual polices, just because they are women. This goes beyond covering viagra for men so that they can enjoy sex in old age and refusing to cover birth control pills for young women, which would certainly help them enjoy sex without the fear of pregnancy ... One woman was refused health insurance because she had had a caesarean section in the past, which the insurance company considered a "pre-existing condition." The woman was told she would be eligible for insurance coverage if she had been sterili... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425087 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:11:21 +0100 3425087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216799&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fbill-paying-ive-learned-a-thing-or-two.html  Bill paying is really tough for me. This is one area of life where my chemo brain is all too obvious. I make stupid mistakes paying bills--forgetting to record the amount of a check in my checkbook, for example. Or even writing numbers wrong, something I would never have done BC (before cancer). So my strategy is to stack up all the bills in one place, and then, when I'm ready to pay them, I clear the decks and give the task my best energy--which means first thing in the morning--for a couple of days. I have a file box to sort the bills and other paperwork by categories, to help with end-of-year tax paperwork and similar things (like applications for financial assistance, or for charity care). I don't actually have very many regular bills, but I have ones t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216799 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:03:30 +0100 3216799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688870&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fwship-prove-my-eligibility-twice-in-one-year.html This is insane--I just received another letter from WSHIP, the Washington State Health Insurance Pool, which insures people like me who the very-profitable nonprofits like Regence refuse to insure, asking that I prove my eligibility for coverage yet again. This is the second time in seven months. Isn't that just a bit insane? Hard to believe that WSHIP's goal is not to catch people who don't return the signed form on time by canceling their insurance, which is what happened last January. For a few days I sweated blood until I was able to get my insurance reinstated. I had sent the form in that time, but the first time WSHIP returned it to me, and the second time I sent it in, WSHIP lost it. So this time I'm mailing in the form registered mail so that WSHIP emplo... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688870 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:27:03 +0100 2688870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660928&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fnot-sure-who-the-bad-guy-is-.html I went by the pharmacy at Northwest Hospital today to pick up a prescription for oral etoposide, one of two new cancer drugs that I'm adding to my regimen starting two weeks from today. At least I think I'm adding them ... When we pulled up at the pharmacy window, a staff person came over to explain that the pharmacy had not ordered the drug because the Medicare reimbursement was not sufficient to cover the cost. She said the pharmacy was not willing to eat the difference between the price of the drug and what Medicare would pay. I was supposed to get 14 pills of 50 mg. etoposide, and the cost was about $600. Medicare would pay less than $500, I was told. So I asked if I could pay the difference with my credit card, and was told no. The only alternativ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660928 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:46:22 +0100 2660928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512894&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fmedicare-billing-this-is-insane.html Do you read your medical bills? How about the "explanation of benefits" from your health insurance company? Granted, those latter are more like a "confusion of benefits" than an explanation, but let's let that go for now. I don't generally read my medical bills, because they make me crazy, and not just because of the incomprehensible explanations of what I owe and why. I generally stack them up for about a month at a time--to avoid stress--and then open them all at one go. Things are even better now that my friend Kelly is back on the case, sorting out my medical bills for me. This is a HUGE stress-reliever, and if you are handling your own medical bills I strongly suggest that you hand them off to someone you trust. However, sometimes I get curious about what things cost, like the rece... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512894 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:21:30 +0100 2512894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2463223&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fmedical-bills-and-bankruptcy.html This news story, which says that medical bills are responsible for 60 percent of the bankruptcies in the United States, will be met with a heartfelt "DUH!" by most of my readers. After all, we are living this. But policy makers please take note: According to Reuters, which was reporting about research done at Harvard and at Ohio University, 75 percent of the bankrupt families HAD HEALTH INSURANCE. But they still couldn't afford the cost of a major illness. I've been living with cancer for almost 11 years, and I have had health insurance of one kind or another for all of that time. But I'm out of money. I don't know yet if I will file for bankruptcy. I'm trying to keep my house if at all possible, but I can't pay the mortgage right now.&#0... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2463223 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:47:53 +0100 2463223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349564&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fgood-story-in-the-ny-times.html Yesterday's New York Times had a good story about cancer patients struggling to pay for chemo drugs that come in pill form. I've been living that story ever since I went on Medicare, because Medicare Part B won't pay for Tykerb--which is a pill--as it does for my Herceptin, gemcitabine, and other cancer drugs. The monthly copay for Tykerb is $1,600, more than my monthly income of $1,000 from Social Security Disability. One twist to the whole thing, which the NYT missed in its story, is that Medicare Part B WILL pay for the oral form of drugs that come in both pill and IV form, because the pill form is cheaper. But if the drug comes only in pill form, as does Tykerb, the patient is out of luck. One piece of good news in the story that I hadn't k... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349564 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:55:23 +0100 2349564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299213&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fpersonally-i-shop-at-bartell-boycott-walgreen.html It looks like it's time to organize a boycott of the Walgreen drugstore chain, folks. Reuters reported yesterday: Walgreen, one of the largest U.S. pharmacy chains, is to withdraw 44 of its 111 pharmacies in the state of Washington from the Medicaid program. Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income individuals.I happen to live in the state of Washington, and while I'm not on Medicaid yet, I'm poor enough to qualify, so it's only a matter of time (oh, and paperwork, don't forget the paperwork. That's the real reason I'm not on Medicaid). Walgreen's reasons?:Cash-strapped Washington state plans to insist on cheaper, generic drugs for low-income Medicaid clients whenever available and equivalent to brand-name drugs, and is also cutting... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299213 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:14:22 +0100 2299213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299219&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Ffrom-the-email-box.html Teri, the Cheeky Librarian, e-mailed me about Wellsphere last night. Apparently, she got the same e-mail that many of us have received--asking us to let Wellsphere use the entire contents of our blogs: FOR FREE. I declined the offer, and I'm sure Teri will too. For more on Wellsphere, see: Wellsphere: Use the Contents of My Blog for Free? (I Don't Think So...) Health Central Buys Wellsphere: Let the Exploitation Begin! Recycling DrugsEllana, who is a regular reader of my blog, sent me info on a place in Reno that will take unneeded meds and pass them on. It's a clinic that serves the homeless, so it looks like they will take medicines other than just cancer drugs. Here's the link: Health Access Washoe County I'm going to contact them and fi... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299219 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:34:46 +0100 2299219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260505&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fmore-from-megan.html Yesterday, I had an update from Megan--she's still fighting, but the news is not good.Her radiation oncologist, the doctor who had recommended stereotactic radiation to treat her brain mets, has what is called a "peer-to-peer" review with the local California Blue Shield medical director, who is an ear, nose, and throat specialist, NOT an oncologist. He's hardly a "peer."Megan's oncologist was told that Blue Shield's decision not to pay for the procedure she needs would stand, so her next step is to appeal to the California State Department of Managed Care. (I didn't know there was such an animal, but anyway ... )Mind you, this is a woman with stage IV disease--doesn't she have better things to do, like focusing on getting well?Read m... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260505 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:34:34 +0100 2260505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260520&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Five-run-out-of-words-for-outrage.html Yesterday, a 36-year-old woman who has metastatic breast cancer e-mailed me and asked for my help. Her story is all too common, which is why the head on this post is "I've run out of words for OUTRAGE." However, even if I've run out of ways to express my outrage, I haven't run out of the outrage itself, thank goodness.Here's her story: Megan Jones is her name. She is 36, as I said, and lives in Pasedena, California. She has metastatic breast cancer, which has spread to the liver, bones, pleural cavity, and brain. Her cancer is HER2neu-positive like mine.She has been on Herceptin, plus Taxotere and carboplatin. And a recent PET scan showed that this regimen has reduced the lesions in her liver, and stabilized the ones in her bone and body. However, the brain ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260520 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:45:40 +0100 2260520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249059&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fthe-price-of-tykerb.html I just saw a story on Bloomberg about Tykerb. The story said that the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has rejected Tykerb to treat women with advanced breast cancer because it is too expensive. The story gives the cost of a year's worth of Tykerb as about $35,000. That number probably came from the drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, but, in fact, it is not correct. I am taking Tykerb, and the price to patients is $3,600/month, which works out to $43,200/year. If the drug manufacturer was the source of the low-ball number, I'm not surprised. For years, the press reported that Herceptin, another drug I take, cost about $3,000/month, which was not true. The source for that number was, of course, Genentech, which makes Herceptin. ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249059 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:31:03 +0100 2249059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190460&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fthe-stimulus-package-wheres-the-health-insurance.html Like a lot of people, I've been trying to figure out the stimulus package that was rushed through the Congress, and of course I"m having trouble. It's hard to comprehend numbers that large. And the details are awfully vague.But one thing is really bugging me: Why didn't President Obama include national health insurance--which I seem to remember him promising us--in the stimulus package?Heck, even CHINA--you know, that Third World country with over a billion people--recently passed a stimulus package to help its struggling economy, and universeal health insurance was part of the package. According to a commentary in Sunday's Honolulu Advertiser, "China deserves high marks for acting quickly on the global economic crisis. ... Some measures, such as a plan to i... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190460 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:00:45 +0100 2190460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172727&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F02%2Ffrom-the-email-box.html I've been out of town for three days, at the Team Survivor Northwest annual fitness retreat (I did my cancer and blogging workshop, which isn't about physical fitness, but they're a flexible group), and now I'm trying to catch up in the two days before I leave town again. What can I say? I'm tired and a bit pissy, so please bear with me. And there is snow on the ground in Seattle (where did THAT come from???) and I have to drive myself to a treatment appointment today. Argh.However, one of the things that is stressing me is my e-mail backlog, so let's see how far I get with clearing it out and posting some of the ones that I think are important.Community Oncology ClinicsI get a fair number of e-mails from PR people, working for various interests. I usually jus... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172727 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:31:53 +0100 2172727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2160288&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F02%2Flobbying-in-olympia.html I always thought that my prescription drug information was private, kind of like my medical records, but it turns out that it's not. Marketers of prescription drugs have been buying patient information from pharmacies--your name, address, and the names of the meds you take--and using them to market their products directly to you. I've gotten phone calls and letters of this kind, from the Tykerb folks, actually.  There is a loophole in HIPAA that allows this. So when I heard that legislation had been introduced in Washington state to ban this practice, I decided it was worth my time to lobby in favor of the bill. Yesterday I went to Olympia, the state capital, to testify before a House committee, and ended up doing an interview with KING5 News as well. ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2160288 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:59:37 +0100 2160288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2156329&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F02%2Flobbying-in-olympia.html I'll write more about this tomorrow, but right now I'm tired. Luckily, KING-5 News did a piece about what we did today, so I don't have to.Here's the link: Bill Would Close Loophole (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2156329 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:59:37 +0100 2156329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2147498&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fworried-about-health-insurance-our-ranks-are-growing.html Whenever I'm interviewed by mainstream media or write something for a mainstream publication about how much I pay for health insurance and how high my out-of-pocket costs are (typically $20,000/year), there are a certain number of people who send me nasty e-mail or post comments along the lines of: "Die, bitch. I don't want to pay for your medical care."And a certain number of people who don't seem to get that I was just like them: I had health insurance through my employer for as long as I could work full time. Then I COBRA-ed it, which meant I paid the full cost myself for the employer's plan, and then, after that, I ran into trouble getting and paying for health insurance coverage.So it's going to be interesting to see whether what's happening now will ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2147498 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:26:42 +0100 2147498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2141290&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fwship-flattened-like-road-kill.html Yesterday, I received an e-mail from another person who had lost her health insurance coverage with WSHIP, Washington state's high-risk pool for people other insurance companies refuse to insure. Here's what she said: Jeanne,     Thank you so much for prompting the Seattle Times article. I thought I was the only one in this mess.  I did not see three other notices, or there were none, and not a phone call either. Just a letter on January 9th telling me my insurance had been cancelled that was dated December 31st.  As I started to crawl through this mess in shock, a deeper depresion locked in. On the 16th I cancelled an eight-hour back surgery that was suppose to happen yesterday. The short part of the story is tomorrow, by noon ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2141290 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:46:08 +0100 2141290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137471&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fseattle-times-on-wship.html The Seattle Times had a story yesterday about the folks who lost their health insurance coverage with WSHIP at the end of December.According to the TImes, 82 people lost their coverage because they didn't send in a form that was supposed to "verify eligibility," but of course did nothing of the kind. (I asked WSHIP how many people were canceled, and they wouldn't tell me. Guess I don't have quite as much muscle as The Seattle Times!)82 people! And remember, these folks are the sickest of the sick. I'm quoted in the story, and it was a good piece, although I would have liked to see more about how WSHIP mishandled the paperwork out in Kansas, which is where they manage this insurance plan. (A side note: how about bringing this office back to Washington a... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137471 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:16:22 +0100 2137471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121455&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fupdate-kansas-it-all-comes-down-to-money-.html This is an update on my post of last week about a woman who was refused treatment at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Anyway, I did receive a reply to my e-mail from someone at the hospital, who wants to know the name of the patient. I can't give that to him without permission from the family member who contacted me, so we are at a stalemate. And I don't want to slam this hospital if it's not true. However, the family tells me, and told me again in an e-mail the other day, that it was this hospital who refused to treat the woman, who was admitted through the emergency room on Sunday because she was in incontrollable pain, but is now back home while her family scrambles to find some kind of health insurance for her so that she can be treated. Here... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121455 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:58:59 +0100 2121455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121456&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fif-wship-canceled-your-insurance.html If WSHIP sent you a letter saying your health insurance was canceled, please e-mail me: jeanne.sather@gmailcomI'd like to know about it. I can also give you the contact info for the people at the top at WSHIP, who will reinstate it for you quickly. I hope they will give you the same level of customer service they gave me. (We'll see, won't we?)The big mess for anyone whose insurance is canceled, even if it is later reinstated, is that your medical bills are going to bounce back. And it could take months to get that kind of mess sorted out. Best to avoid it, if possible. WSHIP says if you get your forms in by the end of the month, your insurance won't be canceled, despite the letter that says it was canceled at the end of December. See also:  WSHIP Reinstat... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121456 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:31:58 +0100 2121456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121457&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fwship-reinstates-my-health-insurance.html There are some advantages to being a professional squeaky wheel (my new job title). The first is that, within hours, my health insurance coverage with WSHIP was reinstated and the bureaucrats at WSHIP are sending me make-nice e-mails. Well, actually, that's the only advantage.The disadvantage--if you want to call it that, to keep the parallel structure going--to this whole situation, which I'm not sure that folks who "apologize for the inconvenience" get, is how stressful this is for someone like me who is living with metastatic disease, feels like crap a good part of the time, and collapses with very few reserves left after dealing with this kind of problem. How do you think I feel when I get a letter telling me my health insurance has been canceled?&#0... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121457 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:21:18 +0100 2121457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121459&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fwship-cancels-my-coverage-can-you-hear-me-screaming.html It has not been a good week on the health insurance/medical billing front. Sometimes I think these folks are trying to get me to stroke out, which would end their financial responsibilities then and there!I received a letter from WSHIP, the Washington state plan for uninsurable folks, now my secondary health insurance plan (Medicare is primary), telling me that they have canceled my coverage because I didn't send in some forms they requested, which included a copy of my Medicare card. The punch line is that I DID send in these forms, with a copy of my Medicare card—TWICE.The reason I remember--in among all the medical paperwork that I fill out--is that I had to go to Kinko's to copy the Medicare card. Having to go a second time, when WSHIP sent back my original paperwork sa... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121459 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:23:26 +0100 2121459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115487&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fnorthwest-hospital-sends-me-to-collections.html Never mind that I had been in touch with them about this bill, because initially I thought it was a mistake. (The backstory: I didn't realize that Northwest Hospital and my cancer center, which is based at the hospital, were sending me two separate sets of bills. To confound the problem, I sent checks to Northwest Hospital that they forwarded to the cancer center billing office without telling me. Boy was I confused.)So once I had that sorted out, I started making small payments on this bill: $50/month, which was all that I could afford. Nonetheless, Northwest sent me to collections. The other backstory: I qualify for charity care under Washington state law, but Northwest never mentioned that to me. So I was planning to send them a letter asking for charity care, but they s... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115487 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:18:53 +0100 2115487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2110535&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fone-cancer-patient-can-make-a-difference.html My good friend Teri sent me the link to this story, with the reminder that one cancer patient CAN make a difference. Now, if anyone has made a difference in my life, it's Teri. And she says the same thing about me, which gives me lots of warm fuzzies ...But back to the story, which is on the CNBC Web site's On the Money:Earlier this week, we told you about one of the largest health insurance schemes of all time, blown wide open thanks to one brave cancer patient who finally just said “enough.”UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s largest insurers, settled with New York State over a claim by the attorney general that it underpaid patients on their out-of-network medical costs by way of owning the company that was supposed to determine those costs in an independen... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2110535 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:07:26 +0100 2110535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107631&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fkansas-it-all-comes-down-to-money-.html Here's the e-mail that I received yesterday. It was titled: "Won't Treat Cancer," which certainly got my attention. I stumbled upon your blog while doing some research to help my mother-in-law who has cancer.  She was diagnosed almost 12 weeks ago with a tumor that is pressing against her spinal cord (which is obviously painful).  Due to a triple bypass heart surgery several years ago, her insurance does not cover much.  The hospital where she should have started chemo 11 weeks ago won't begin until she forks up more money in advance.  Her current insurance company will only contribute $40K up front.  We have tried everything and contacted everyone--she is unable to draw disability, Medicaid, etc., etc.,  The Cancer Soci... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107631 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:53:24 +0100 2107631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2100827&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fcharity-care-in-washington-state.html I met last week with Matt Geyman, the lawyer mentioned in The Seattle Times' great story on charity care, and we talked about a number of things, including the class-action suit he is bringing against Northwest Hospital's collections agency, Audit & Adjustment Co. Inc., and the requirements for receiving charity care in Washington.I perked up a bit when I heard this, because I have had some problems with the billing department at Northwest Hospital, and, in fact, I have a bill right here where the hospital threatens to send me to collections. (Never mind that I've been sending them $50/month ...)But did Northwest Hospital ever mention charity care, or tell me that they had charity care available if I qualified?Nope. And that, basically, is what the lawsuit is about.So... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2100827 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:11:48 +0100 2100827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2097777&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fpaying-for-tykerb.html There is no question that Tykerb has been a wonder drug for me. I've been on it for a little over a year, and the first year was great: good quality of life and very few side effects. Certainly no problems that made the drug intolerable. Then a few months ago, the Tykerb "failed," meaning that my tests and scans showed disease progression, so we added a couple more drugs to the mix, and I now get Tykerb, Herceptin, cytoxan, and zometa.But the cost!  That's been an on-going problem ever since I qualified for Medicare last July 1. Tykerb costs $3,600/month. Or $120/day. That's problem number one. Problem number two: Medicare says Tykerb falls under Medicare Part D, the lousy prescription drug coverage, rather than under Medicare Part B with all t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2097777 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:16:28 +0100 2097777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073757&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fbe-careful-with-that-personal-info.html Be careful with the information you give your cancer center or hospital. It may be used in ways you did not expect, ways that may seem like a violation of your privacy. Not too long ago, my oncologist sent me to have some tests and scans at Northwest Hospital, which is where his clinic is based. When I checked in for my scans, I was given the usual paperwork, which included a line for giving an emergency contact. As I usually do, I put down my friend Laurie, with her phone number.  Later, there was a mix-up in my bills, and guess what? A woman in the billing office called Laurie.  How did the bill collections person get this information, which I thought was only in the medical part of my file? And how could this NOT be a violation of HIPAA, which is supposed to protect pat... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073757 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:18:54 +0100 2073757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073758&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fcharity-care-expose-good-job-seattle-times.html The Seattle Times has a story at the top of page one in today's paper, "No money, no insurance, no mercy," that is, sadly, right on the money. The story says that hospitals in the Puget Sound region, which includes Seattle, do not tell their low-income or middle-income patients that they may qualify for charity care, even though these same nonprofit hospitals have pledged to offer charity care.In addition, under Washington state law, people with annual incomes below the poverty level are not required to pay ANYTHING at any licensed medical or psychiatric hospital in the state. The poverty level for a household of one is $10,400 a year. I certainly met that standard last year, so why was I paying bills from Swedish Cancer Institute and Northwest Hospital? Not to me... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073758 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:54:13 +0100 2073758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073762&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fyet-another-collections-agency.html This one is a doozy. It arrived shortly before Christmas in with a batch of holiday greetings from friends near and far. I read it, but it made no sense, so I put it aside to deal with after Christmas. Which would be now. It's a collections letter from an outfit called Credit Bureau of Island County. One reason this letter makes no sense is that I live in King County, so what is a collections bureau in Island County (out in the San Juan Islands) doing going after me?The second reason it makes no sense is that is says I owe $158 to University Physicians. But as far as I know, I don't owe University Physicians anything. They certainly haven't been sending me any bills.(A side note: This is University of Washington Medical Center, which bills patients... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073762 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:33:25 +0100 2073762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1872974&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Finterview-with-the-aarp-bulletin.html I did this interview with Barbara Basler (who was great, by the way) of the AARP Bulletin months ago, and then when the story appeared online I had trouble capturing the URL because it was one of several stories that were rotating in the top space on the AARP Bulletin Web site. All of which is a long way of saying, "Here's an interview I did with AARP for a story about the insanely expensive medicines that keep me alive":Million-Dollar Medicines I do quite a few interviews with the media, and I like doing it (I was a reporter myself for more than 20 years, and it's interesting to be on the other side). I also feel like I am an articulate spokesperson for SICK PEOPLE.@ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1872974 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:02:59 +0100 1872974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1840869&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Ftykerb-making-a-deal-with-myself.html As my regular readers know, I hate paperwork of any kind, but I hate medical paperwork, especially anything to do with billing or insurance, with a passion.I think I'm justified in this hatred, but that is not my topic today. Someday, I will start to keep a log of all the time I spend on the phone trying to sort out errors that are not of my making. Like the problem with Northwest Hospital, for example. Northwest did not credit two checks of mine, for a total of more than $200, to my account. The checks cleared my bank, and I had the tracking numbers, but in order for Northwest to correct this error, I, THE CANCER PATIENT, had to make a trip to my bank, get copies, and then mail them to the hospital. Elapsed time: Four hours. Stress level: high.These are four hours I wil... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1840869 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:17:44 +0100 1840869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809624&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fswedish-writes-off-my-bill.html Well, I'd like to be able to say that my tale of woe about billingproblems at Swedish Medical Center here in Seattle had a happy ending.But it was more like a frustrating, annoying ending.Rose--who I have never actually spoken to live--left me another voicemail the other day, saying that Swedish had "written off my balancesAS A COURTESY."So what does that mean? That I never owed the money in the firstplace, despite Swedish sending me to collections three times, andcosting me my home equity line of credit (since reinstated)? Or that Idid owe the money, but Swedish doesn't think it's cost-effective toprovide me with documentation that shows which doctor I saw on whatdate--and why I still owe anything after my insurance (which has apreferred provider relationship with Sw... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809624 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:43:08 +0100 1809624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794295&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fswedish-isnt-the-only-one-which-doesnt-make-it-right.html My contributed editorial about my billing problems with Swedish Medical Center here in Seattle may just get published  because of the problems in California recently--that's how it works in the news world.(I've sent a contributed editorial/commentary to both The New York Times and NPR--we'll see if either one is interested.)Here's more about the problems in California:California Hospital Billing Errors For all cancer patients: Remember, Money magazine says that eight out of 10 medical bills contain errors, which increase patients' costs by 25 percent. A good idea not to pay ANY bill until you are sure that you actually owe the money. @ Jeanne Sather 2008.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794295 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:48:28 +0100 1794295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1788617&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fyet-another-threat-from-swedish-medical-center.html This is getting funny. Except it's not. In the pile of bills that I was working my way through yesterday, I found yet another computer-generated, threatening letter from Swedish. This one is from ARstrat, which is described as "A Division of Patient Accounting Service Center LLC." Maybe these are the guys who leave me the voice mail messages that don't say who is calling? No wait, that's the billing office at Swedish itself. I checked the number. See: Blind Billing CallHere's what the latest letter says: THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. Our previous written notification to you concerning the debt(s) referenced below has not r... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1788617 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:31:35 +0100 1788617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1785792&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fsince-im-in-a-pissy-mood-anyway.html I'm in a pissy mood over my inability to get the new Typepad tool (AKA "compose editor") to upload photos to my blog. I have some great photos that I want to post: One of the car-full of plants I bought for Car Guy and planted in his front yard on Labor Day. Also a couple of photos from my trip to the beach in the Corvair last weekend with Car Guy and Constant, the Car Dog, top down all the way.  So I'm frustrated, and pissy, and I decided this was a good day to sort out my stockpile of billing problems. Most of these are medical bills, of course, but not all. I also have a problem to sort out with Netflix, which insists that my credit card has expired, so I can't rent movies, but there on my monthly credit card statement are the charges for Netflix--$18 and... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1785792 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:59:01 +0100 1785792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754569&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fmedicare-tykerb-insanity-part-4.html Now that I'm on Medicare (with a supplemental policy through WSHIP and a separate Medicare Part D prescription drug policy), the monthly copay for my Tykerb, the drug that keeps me alive, is $1,600.I can't afford that, so I've been exploring ways to get the drug for free or for a reduced copay. That, of course, involves lots of paperwork and phone calls, which I am documenting on my blog.This  morning I had a voice mail message from Carla at the TykerbCares program. (See my post of August 25.)When I called back, I didn't reach Carla, of course, but I talked to Scenario, and she told me that Carla had been calling me to tell me that I do not qualify to get Tykerb for free because I have prescription drug coverage (never mind that the copay is $1,600).Since I have prescr... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754569 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:29:17 +0100 1754569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742654&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fa-party-for-oba.html My friend Laurie hosted an Obama Party last night--we grilled our burgers of choice (tofu, salmon, vegi--me--or beef) on the outdoor grill, and then gathered 'round the TV to watch Obama's speech. It will come as no surprise to my readers that he is my choice for president--how could there be any doubt? But I hadn't realized that his mother had died of breast cancer. In his speech, Obama mentioned watching his mother hassle with health insurance while she was sick. So this is one candidate who gets it. I haven't been very political during the past decade, with the exception of cancer issues, and before that I was a journalist and wasn't allowed to take part in political activities of any kind, so it's been awhile. But if there ever was a time for people like me to take to the streets... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742654 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:48:16 +0100 1742654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726297&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fandrea-says-tha.html I mailed Andrea a second check the other day, for the rest of the donations that have come in. The total reached $420--so thank you to all who sent money to Andrea. She e-mailed me this morning to let me know that she had received it, and wrote: "Please thank your readers for their contributions. It is nice to be able to live a little instead of just exist." In early August, I decided to do an online fund-raiser to help Andrea, a 40-year-old former truck driver who has a very serious cancer. Andrea has stage IV breast cancer and also inflammatory breast cancer. She had cancer in both her breasts and it has now spread throughout her body. She is in treatment with daily radiation, and of course can’t work. She is also the single mother of a 3-year-old son, John, who she is raising wit... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726297 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:38:49 +0100 1726297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1713826&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fmedicare-tykerb.html Now that I'm on Medicare, I'm trying very hard not to explode into little bitty pieces with frustration as I try my best to get Medicare to pay for the treatment that keeps me alive. The most important drug that I take now is Tykerb, which I've been on since last Thanksgiving Day. With the Tykerb, my tumor markers have dropped into the normal range, and stayed there for nine months. (There is still some active cancer, three small tumors, one in my spine and two in my pelvis, but they aren't any danger to me right now.) Tykerb only comes in pill form, however, which has been part of the problem with Medicare. I have Medicare Parts A and B, which costs me about $100/month. I also have a supplemental policy through WSHIP, which is several hundred dollars more a month, and a prescription... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1713826 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:14:59 +0100 1713826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696031&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fthank-you-donat.html Thanks to all the readers who sent donations to help Andrea, the Seattle-area single mother who has advanced breast cancer. Before I left for the beach a week ago, I sent Andrea a check for $120, and I came home to find six more donations, in amounts ranging from $10 to $100, for a total of $390. That will buy a month's worth of groceries for Andrea and her 3-year-old son, John, and I thank you all for your generosity. Read: Send Money: An Online Fund-Raiser @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696031 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:05:35 +0100 1696031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679537&cid=t_155046_97_f&fid=35605&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmcountry.net%2F2008%2F01%2F20%2Fliar-liar-pbm-on-fire%2F Ok, Cigna, you really need to get your act together. The other day, I had a patient (one of our regulars) come in with an Augmentin Rx for her son. Her employer had just switched their carrier to Cigna, but she hadn’t received the new card yet. So, I think, no big deal. Call Cigna, give them name, DOB, address if neccesary. Wrong! Once I finally got through to somebody, I was asked for my name, pharmacy name, NPI#, Rx#, and the patient’s name. (after I had given all of this to Cigna’s lovely IVR system.) I explained the situation to the representative. She told me that I needed the primary cardholder’s social security number due to the “new HIPAA law.” (What, you mean the one that was passed in 1996 and its “final rule on Security standards” ... PharmCountry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679537 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:59:26 +0100 1679537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593706&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fthreats-from-sw.html I opened a bill from Swedish Medical Center today, to read the following: DELIQUENCY NOTICE After repeated attempts to encourage you to pay your long overdue account with Swedish, this is still an outstanding balance. This letter is sent as our last attempt to assist you in resolving the balance(s) due. While we suggest that you take steps to settle this outstanding balance in full, the account is scheduled for a referral to a debt collector, ARSTRAT, if we do not receive payment within 15 days of this statement date. If you are disputing any charges on your bill, you must contact us immediately. Swedish does offer financial assistance to those who qualify, however, it must be requested by you and we are not showing any completed or approved application at this time. Bills from other heal... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593706 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:22:12 +0100 1593706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593707&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fletter-to-colle.html DATE: July 20, 2007 TO: ARSTRAT FROM: Jeanne Sather RE: Collection Notice This letter is to inform you that the bill for $41.40 that Swedish Medical Center sent to your office for collections is an error. I called my health insurance provider, WSHIP, and was told that it had not received a bill from Swedish for this amount with the date of service that is on the bill, 11/28/2006. Please check with WSHIP if you have any questions. I have tried without success to resolve the matter directly with Swedish. Do not call me regarding this matter. Any contact by your office must be by mail. @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593707 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:45:13 +0100 1593707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593708&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fletter-to-swedi.html TO: Swedish Medical Center, Patient Accounting Customer Service FROM: Jeanne Sather RE: Bill with date of service 8/27/07 (see attached) DATE: April 17, 2008 I believe that the attached bill is in error. I called my insurance company, WSHIP, yesterday, and spoke to a woman named Jackie. She told me that WSHIP has not received a claim from you for that date of service in this amount. She said there was a claim from Dr. Eulau, my radiation oncologist, with that date of service, for $191, and that claim was paid. The bill also does not say which doctor's services the bill is supposedly for, and I would like an explanation of the term "ongoing outpatient care"--are you saying that I had a doctor's appointment on that date? In any case, feel free to call WSHIP for confirmation.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593708 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:43:01 +0100 1593708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593710&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F07%2Favastin-and-tyk.html I'm on both of these drugs to treat my metastatic breast cancer (also zometa), so I perked up when Teri, the Cheeky Librarian, send these headlines my way. It's basically the old--"Is it worth the cost?" debate, which is always a question worth asking, but at the same time, the answer is going to be different if the patient who may not get access to the drug, is you, or your mother, or some abstract unnamed woman who your taxes are paying to support. The stories on Avastin are saying that the drug is not all that effective, and it is certainly expensive, although maybe these headlines in the New York Times and elsewhere will persuade Genentech to cut the price, but one thing they may not be considering--most, if not all of us, get Avastin in combination with other drugs. And in combina... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593710 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:56:56 +0100 1593710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575317&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F07%2Ftykerb-woes.html When I was in getting IV fluids yesterday, I asked my nurse to check with Dr. Lee about my Tykerb--should I cut the dose? Actually, I had already cut the dose from five pills a day to three on Monday and Tuesday, the two days that my stomach was so upset. Dr. Lee said that I should skip taking Tykerb for a day, which was yesterday, and then start again with only two pills a day and gradually work back up to five as long as my tummy stayed calm. I'm still having problems today, so I think I'm going to call and see if he wants me to skip another day, or to go ahead with the two pills. I really hate to not take it, because it has been working so well for me--holding my bone mets in check since last Thanksgiving (with a little help from six weeks of radiation therapy to my largest mets)--... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575317 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:38:41 +0100 1575317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556187&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fkorean-tv-inter.html I had kind of forgotten about the Asian custom (well, Japanese and Korean, anyway) of paying for interviews. It's not quite the same thing as paying for interviews the way the National Enquirer does; it's more like a "thank you" for making yourself available. (They also gave me a clock that shows date and temperature.) In this country, it's considered unethical to pay for interviews, but in Japan--where I worked as a journalist for five years--you can make a living at it. There are people in Japan called "hyoronka," a word which is usually translated as "critic," but that doesn't really explain the custom. A better translation would be "professional expert." Hyoronka write articles about topics they specialize in, and they also give interviews to journalists, and are paid for their... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556187 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:33:27 +0100 1556187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1542962&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fupdate-on-the-u.html Since I put up this post (Uninsured Cancer Patient in New Jersey Needs Help) on June 13, lots of people have jumped in with help and suggestions for George and his wife, who has breast cancer, needs chemo and radiation, and doesn't have health insurance. Thanks, everyone. From Renee I think I sent you this information before, but I am not sure, so I'm sending again. The National Council of Aging has a free Web site, www.benefitscheckup.com, that can help find programs that might be of help. I believe anyone can use it. Also, ask every provider, hospital, etc. if they have a "hardship" form you can fill out? Some don't count assets, and will let you deduct all expenses. Most states require at least one company offer insurance to uninsurables. I'm not sure if New Jersy is one of them... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1542962 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:03:22 +0100 1542962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1525906&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fmore-good-news.html This is an update on my post of June 13, about a young cancer survivor in Oregon whose cancer center was insisting that she make larger monthly payments than she could afford on a $700 bill. Here's that earlier post: Who's the Grinch at St. Vincent's in Beaverton? After I posted that, I received an e-mail from Maryanne (not her real name) saying that she had called St. Vincent's again, and talked to a different person in the billing office. This person said Maryanne could make payments of $30/month, instead of the $60/month the hospital had earlier insisted was the minimum it would accept. So this raises an interesting question: If you don't like what one person in the billing office tells you, should you just call right back and hope to get someone else? Like dialing for dollars? ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1525906 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:15:13 +0100 1525906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1518612&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fwanted-a-lawyer.html I need a lawyer willing to sue Citibank (or its parent company, Citi, I'm not picky) over the cancellation of my home equity line of credit by the bank. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read these two posts, and then send me an e-mail (jeanne.sather@gmail.com) if you are a lawyer licensed to practice in Washington state who is willing to take this on, either pro bono or for a percentage of the settlement. Blindsided by Citibank Citibank: Fighting Back @ Jeanne Sather 2008. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1518612 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:04:48 +0100 1518612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1518613&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fcitibank-fighti.html Time to start fighting back against Citibank, which cancelled my home equity line of credit last month. I sent a letter to Citibank protesting this cancellation, and asking that my home equity line of credit be reinstated. See: Letter to Citibank The letter was mailed on May 28, and I asked the Post Office for delivery confirmation. I just checked this on the automated phone system, and my letter was delivered on May 31, at 2:15 p.m. Today is June 13, not quite two weeks later. How long am I supposed to wait for a reply? In any case, I won't be sitting back and waiting for Citibank to do the right thing. I know better than that. I've already made a complaint to the FTC, and received a form letter back. Not expecting much help there, either. Or not timely help. See: FTC Compla... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1518613 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:48:32 +0100 1518613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1516381&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fwhose-the-grinc.html Here's another letter from a cancer patient who is trying to pay off a medical bill. Unbelievable, but the hospital, St. Vincent's in Beaverton, Oregon, won't let her make payments of $20/month, which is all she can afford. I've changed her name to protect her privacy. Maryanne to Jeanne I have a quick question for you--I am trying to pay off this $700+ bill and for a few months, the hospital let me pay$ 20/month, but now they say I have to pay a minimum of $60/month, which I cannot do. My friends and family keep telling me that as long as I'm paying something, the hospital can't send me to collections. Do you know if this is true? The hospital offered me a 10 percent financial aid award, which is $70. Better than nothing, yes, but I still can't pay the $60/month!!! [Note from Jeanne:... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1516381 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:36:56 +0100 1516381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1516382&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F06%2Funinsured-cance.html I received the first e-mail in this string about a week ago, from a man I will call "George," whose wife was just diagnosed with breast cancer. They have no health insurance. Anyone who lives in New Jersey and knows what resources are available to help George and his wife, please post a comment below, or e-mail me at jeanne.sather@gmail.com and I will forward your message to George. I get way too many e-mails like this. It makes me sad. And it makes me mad. George to Jeanne Jeanne, Thank you for helping. My wife has been dignosed with breast cancer, no mets, but three-negative breast cancer. The problem: we are not insured. I need guidance to navigate in this storm. Just give me the first light. I am new in this tunnel, so any direction, relevant material I will appreciate. I... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1516382 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:40:13 +0100 1516382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475063&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fcomplaining-to.html Here is the text of my complaint to the FTC about Citibank's "suspending" (i.e., cancelling) my home equity line of credit: I have a home equity line of credit with Citibank. I received a letter from Citibank dated May 12 that said it was suspending my home equity line of credit because of a change in my financial circumstances. According to the FTC Web site, a bank cannot do this unless the borrower fails to make payments. I have always made my payments on time and usually paid more than the minimum required payment. Also, my financial circumstances (and my credit report) are no worse than they were when Citibank increased my home equity LOC last October, and refinanced my home mortgage in early 2006. I am happy to document all of this. Need to make a complaint to the FTC? Here's t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475063 Wed, 28 May 2008 17:48:21 +0100 1475063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1472319&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fwhy-do-we-get-h.html From Teri, The Cheeky Librarian: The figures I heard from the health professionals on Saturday--the most recent figure for the number of people in the United States with cancer is 10.8 million. The next numbers due out are estimated to be 12 million. That is a lot of households that are affected by the catastrophic costs and upheaval to their lives, and the homeowners in those situations probably figure to access their HELOC as they pay for their living expenses and care while they heal. How dare the mortgage company pull that vital resource away just at the time it is most needed? I can't find any figures on what folks usually do with their HELOC--pay for college, renovate and add value to their home, pay for long term care, whatever. But my home's equity should be available to me... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472319 Tue, 27 May 2008 22:44:44 +0100 1472319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1472320&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fletter-to-citib.html From the letter I received from Citibank informing me that the bank has suspended my home equity line of credit: "If you have questions about our decision ... write to Citibank: Attn: Terry Johnson, 4050 Regent Blvd., Irving TX 75063." Here's my letter to Terry (wonder if he, or she, is a real person? My guess is, NOT): DATE: May 27, 2008 TO: Terry Johnson, Citibank FROM: Jeanne Sather, loan number: XXXXXXX RE: Suspension of home equity line of credit Terry, I have received Citibank's letter of May 12 informing me that my home equity line of credit has been suspended as of that date. Before taking legal action, I decided to write to you. ISSUE 1: LEGALITY OF THIS SUSPENSION The letter states: Please note that our suspension of loan advances is authorized by your accoun... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472320 Tue, 27 May 2008 22:17:28 +0100 1472320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1472322&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fblindsided-by-c.html About 10 days ago, I received a letter that sent my blood pressure skyrocketing: My mortgage holder, Citibank, which has my home mortgage and a home equity line of credit, has SUSPENDED my home equity line of credit. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that my monthly income comes from Social Security Disability, child support, part-time work, and drawing against the equity in my house. I am a careful planner, and I've managed to stay afloat, financially, despite having an incurable (and expensive) cancer. My current two-year plan calls for me to draw about $2,000/month against my home equity line of credit for the next year, and then decide at that point whether or not I want to sell my house and downsize. This works because I have at least $250,000 in equity in the... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472322 Tue, 27 May 2008 21:01:08 +0100 1472322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449236&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fno-insurance-de.html Just put up my post about the American Cancer Society's new hip video, which took me to the post I wrote last fall about how the ACS was putting all of its ad dollars into a campaign to address the lack of health insurance coverage in this country. Last September, The New York Times had this quote from the society’s chief executive, John Seffrin, that should get everyone's attention. He says, unless the health care system is fixed, “lack of access [to quality health care] will be a bigger cancer killer than tobacco.” And then there's yesterday's post: Dying Without Health Insurance A couple of parts are worth repeating: The Urban Institute estimated that at least 22,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 died in 2006 because they did not have health insurance. Families USA... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449236 Fri, 16 May 2008 17:06:24 +0100 1449236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1445861&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fdying-without-h.html A friend of mine at WashingtonCAN, a lobbying group, forwarded a report about the number of people without health insurance who die every year, nationally and here in Washington state--because they don't have health insurance. Now, I'm not sure how they were able to determine that these people died because of lack of health insurance (in other words, that they wouldn't have died, regardless), but I'm willing to take their word that they have a formula for estimating this. Here is a piece of the report: The number of uninsured Americans reached 47 million in 2006, and it continues to rise. For many of the uninsured, the lack of health insurance has dire consequences. The uninsured face medical debt, often go without necessary care, and even die prematurely. In 2002, the Institute of M... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1445861 Thu, 15 May 2008 16:32:59 +0100 1445861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1442678&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fa-contest-nomin.html My good friend and fellow cancer blogger, The Cheeky Librarian, sent me this announcement, and it got me thinking that it's time for us to hold another contest. (Debutaunt won the last one, and she gets to drive my Corvair when she's in Seattle this summer. Heck, she can take a road trip with the debu__sweetie in my car. To the beach, maybe? I also want us to go to the drive-in movies in the car, which is a convertible--can you say "Summer of '64"?) Read: How LOW Will Komen GO?: The Winners The contest is How Drug Cos. Spend Their (Obscene) Profits, and the categories are Good... Bad ... and Debatable. So send in your entries for all categories. We'll come up with some prizes--I'm sure to score some drug company freebies when I'm at ASCO at the end of the month. See: ASCO if you don't... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1442678 Wed, 14 May 2008 20:24:32 +0100 1442678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1434373&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fmore-stories-on.html I've been writing more stories for MedTrackAlert, and I'm really grateful for the work, especially now with my car repair bills (no, the Red Corvair isn't back home yet) and vet bills for poor GB (haven't seen a final bill yet--they are tactful about these things when a pet dies, but I'm guessing it's going to be up around $2,000). Here are links to the latest three stories of mine that MedTrackAlert has published: How to respond to hurtful comments Get help with your bills from a specialist Tips for sorting out medical bills Here's the link to the first piece I wrote for them, back in April: Story on MedTrackAlert: How to Talk to People With Cancer MedTrackAlert From their Web site: MedTrackAlert is a consumer health information company dedicated to helping people better unde... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434373 Sun, 11 May 2008 18:47:12 +0100 1434373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1428906&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fseattle-cancer.html A friend sent me the link to this story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (actually, several friends sent it along). I can't say that I'm surprised, because I had a lot of problems with the billing office at SCCA during the years I was a patient there. The bill that Thomas Smailus keeps getting is for a procedure that the medical bureaucracy insists took place in June 200 --four months after his wife died, the story says. "At this point it's gone from painful to comical," Smailus said last week in reaction to receiving his fourth bill for the procedure that wasn't. Here's the story: Wife dies but new hospital bills keep coming Meanwhile, among our own circle of cancer blogger friends, Amorette has been hassling with insurance problems--and was told that she couldn't possibly be on Me... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1428906 Wed, 07 May 2008 23:44:51 +0100 1428906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379309&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fanother-letter.html I seems to be a day for letters, not just mine, but Younger Son's beautiful letter to Seattle Prep, protesting proposed changes to the Matteo Ricci Program, which he is enrolled in (making him a freshman at Seattle U and also a senior at Prep--he will receive his high school diploma this spring, at the end of his freshman year of college). Anyway, I need to send a letter to the head of the Swedish Cancer Institute about the practice of the billing office at Swedish of leaving prerecorded phone messages that do not identify the caller as Swedish Medical Center. Not that he answered my last letter, but here goes: DATE: April 17, 2008 TO: Albert B. Einstein, M.D., Executive Director, Swedish Cancer Institute FROM: Jeanne Sather, cancer patient RE: Practices of your billing dep... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379309 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:36:00 +0100 1379309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379311&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fa-letter-to-swe.html I have in front of me a bill from Swedish Medical Center (although they want me to write my check to Swedish Hospital, and then there's Swedish Cancer Institute ... but anyway) with a date of service of 8/27/2007. The "service description" is "on-going patient care," and I supposedly owe $75.18 after my insurance paid $3.02 and there was an "insurance adjustment" of $57.80. Well, my first question is what the heck is "on-going patient care"? Is that a doctor's appointment? And, if so, with which doctor? I've seen two different oncologists at Swedish, plus the various doctors who read my scans who I never meet. The bill puzzled me for several reasons: The most important of these is that once my annual deductible of $1,000 is satisfied, I don't owe anything for care I receive at Swedish... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379311 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:24:22 +0100 1379311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1375036&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fanother-blind-c.html Last week, I had a voice mail message, a prerecorded message asking me to call a "patient accounts billing office." I had another message today, again asking me to call the "patient accounts billing office," without telling me the name of the hospital or other provider that is calling me. It may not be the provider at all--it could well be a collections agency. (I'm more suspicious after watching "Maxed Out," which shows some of the dirty tricks collection agencies use.) I did write down the number though: 1-866-365-2211. Anyone want to give them a call and find out who it is? As far as I know, I don't have any unpaid medical bills. I do have one bill from Swedish cancer center I need to sort out, because the date of service on the bill is not correct. I'm going to double-check it with... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1375036 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:32:05 +0100 1375036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1375037&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fmaxed-out.html I just finished watching a really excellent documentary called "Maxed Out" about America's debt, both personal and national. I was, of course, watching it to see what it had to say about serious illness and bankruptcy and debt, and there I was disappointed. Although it was obvious that some of the people who appear in the documentary got into financial trouble after the death of a spouse or a serious illness, very little attention was given to this aspect of bankruptcy. However, one expert on bankruptcy who was interviewed at length, Elizabeth Warren of Harvard Law School, probably has the information I'm seeking, and I'm going to look for an e-mail address for her tomorrow. One thing we Americans take for granted--that if you have cancer or another serious illness you are probably g... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1375037 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:14:46 +0100 1375037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363652&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fheres-a-new-one.html I had a voice mail message this morning, a canned message asking me to call the "patient accounts billing office" at some 800-number. But here's the catch: The message didn't say WHICH patient accounts billing office. Which cancer center? I probably have eight different providers (billing jargon--doctors are providers, so are all the places I go for tests, like Via Radiology), so how am I supposed to know which one is calling me so that I can be prepared when I call them back? Obviously, they don't want me to know. Is this a deadbeat call? I love those--"We have sent you to collections and we are going to call all your neighbors and tell them you don't pay your bills." I had one of those once, but it was from a credit card collections agency, not a medical center. Credit card compan... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363652 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:11:44 +0100 1363652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173027&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fwhats-the-story.html OK, I hate to think that after all these years I'm still a bit naive, but I have never personally known anyone who has been refused cancer treatment because they couldn't pay for it or didn't have insurance. I have heard stories--mostly passed on by nurses, not patients--of oncologists in private practice refusing to take Medicare patients (more shame on them) so that these patients have to get their care at public facilities, like the University of Washington Medical Center. But flat refused to treat someone who didn't have enough insurance ... I have never met anyone in that situation. So then comes the following comment, posted to my blog: "Where can I get help for my cancer bills? I have done the same as you, but my bills sre getting worse and in this state they refuse you if you ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173027 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:54:39 +0100 1173027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163609&cid=t_155046_97_f&fid=35605&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmcountry.net%2F2008%2F01%2F20%2Fliar-liar-pbm-on-fire%2F Ok, Cigna, you really need to get your act together. The other day, I had a patient (one of our regulars) come in with an Augmentin Rx for her son. Her employer had just switched their carrier to Cigna, but she hadn’t received the new card yet. So, I think, no big deal. Call Cigna, give them name, DOB, address if neccesary. Wrong! Once I finally got through to somebody, I was asked for my name, pharmacy name, NPI#, Rx#, and the patient’s name. (after I had given all of this to Cigna’s lovely IVR system.) I explained the situation to the representative. She told me that I needed the primary cardholder’s social security number due to the “new HIPAA law.” (What, you mean the one that was passed in 1996 and its “final rule on Security standards” ... PharmCountry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1163609 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:19:22 +0100 1163609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152428&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fmedicare-ever-c.html During my meeting with Leah, Wonder Woman Social Worker, yesterday, she suggested that either WSHIP (my present health insurance) or Basic Health (a state program for low-income people) would have a supplemental policy that might work for me once I go on Medicare. She also said that the private companies that sell supplemental policies to people aged 65 and older on Medicare would probably not sell me a policy--they refuse to insure disabled people who are on Medicare. (That's a loophole the federal government should close, but that's another post for another day.) So I went to the WSHIP Web site, and sure enough, WSHIP has not one but TWO plans for people who are on Medicare. Duh. I never even thought to check. WSHIP has a Basic Plan And a Basic Plus Plan It looks like the Basic ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152428 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:08:31 +0100 1152428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152429&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fdont-dump-those.html I was outraged when I read that the government recommends that people who have leftover prescription drugs mix those meds with dirty kitty litter and throw them in the trash. (See An Alternative to the Government's Kitty Litter Drug Disposal Plan) It seems to me that there should and could be a legal way to pass these expensive meds on to people who need them. And it turns out there is. The magic words are DRUG REPOSITORY. A few states have them, and a few more are working to set them up. In the state of Wisconsin (three cheers for Wisconsin!), for example: Cancer and chronic disease patients may donate unused or discontinued medications and supplies to a participating pharmacy or medical facility. Those items will be given to individuals with cancer or chronic disease that do not h... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152429 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:12:48 +0100 1152429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150611&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fmedicare-gettin.html I went off this morning, in the pouring rain, to see Leah deRoulet, MSW, LCSW, at the Swedish Cancer Institute. Leah is the best social worker I know, bar none, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Leah just won an award that puts her among the top dozen social workers in the country: She recently won the prestigious Lane Adams Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society. (Applause, please.) Anyway, back to the purpose of my visit to see Leah: Of all the people I had e-mailed about sorting out Medicare, Leah was the only one who said, "It's not as hard as it looks." So I figured seeing her was my next step. I had all my questions written out, and I took along a list of all my prescription drugs. This is what I learned: * Tykerb should indeed by covered under Medica... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150611 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:21:59 +0100 1150611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146117&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fmedicare-questi.html Well, in my usual fashion, I e-mailed god and everyone looking for help with Medicare. This approach is also known as "throwing all the balls in the air"--in other words, it's a shotgun approach to finding information. I often do this when I'm writing a story on a topic I know nothing about. And it works. I'm a lot closer to sorting out Medicare and deciding what I should do--drop WSHIP ($800/month premiums plus $2,000/year deductibles)? Join Medicare (a huge unknown)? Or keep both? The people I e-mailed included a smart friend who is on Medicare, a bankruptcy attorney (and friend), a friend at WashingtonCAN, and a social worker at Swedish. I also had info from readers of my blog. I asked BOTH of my therapists for input. And I went to the AARP and government Web sites and started r... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146117 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:46:33 +0100 1146117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143419&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fan-alternative.html I’m a long-time cancer patient (nine years and counting), and I have dozens of bottles of leftover drugs clogging up my medicine cabinet. I know it's dangerous to keep them around--kids could poison themselves, as could our Golden Retriever (who eats anything from rocks to homemade brownies). Drug abusers could steal them. I like to think that no one who visits my house would snoop in the bathroom searching for drugs, but do I know that for sure? In the old days, the rule was to flush unwanted drugs down the toilet. But it's not a good idea: Antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs are being found in waterways, raising questions about harm to the environment and to human health as well. A year or two ago, I read somewhere that the thing to do was to return the unused drugs to a pharm... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143419 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:04:05 +0100 1143419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143521&cid=t_155046_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fcaregiver%2Fjeff%2Fa-caregiver-rants-about-insurance-company-communication%2F I’m an easy-going sort usually, so why do I find it so hard to keep my temper when I’m talking to customer service reps at insurance companies? Case in point: A week or so ago, out of the blue, Pops got a letter from Aetna welcoming him to the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan – except nobody had ever enrolled him in the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan. The letter was full of irrelevancies and was unhelpful in explaining why he was getting it. I told him I would call Aetna and find out what was going on. I did remember that last year the EPIC New York State Prescription Plan, in which Pops had been enrolled for years, required him to sign up for a Part D prescription plan and provided a list of alternative plans. At that time, I called and talked to the EPIC rep and picked a plan called RX1 administered... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143521 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:32:22 +0100 1143521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142275&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fwhy-we-need-gov.html WashingtonCAN released the following press release today. It speaks for itself. Washington Health Insurance Companies Making Record Financial Gains as Access to Quality Health Care Erodes New data calls into question industry's justification for rate-hikes A Fact Sheet summarizing data is attached. For full report, visit: http://www.nwfco.org/pubs/2008.0110_Insuring.Health.or.Ensuring.Profit.pdf Seattle, WA – Washington's major health insurance companies are making record financial gains, according to a study released today, Insuring Health or Ensuring Profit?: A Look at the Financial Gains of Washington's Health Insurers. The study, released today by the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations and the Washington Community Action Network, reveals that the state's top t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142275 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:14:17 +0100 1142275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136742&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fthe-american-ca.html I received an e-mail this morning from Paul McGee, the senior director of communications and marketing for the American Cancer Society, and I have to admit I was tremendously flattered to hear that he is a regular reader of my blog. That made me happy. After all, these are my goals for the blog: * To be the most widely read cancer blog in the United States. (Not there yet.) * To influence public policy on issues such as health insurance and access to care. (Starting to have a voice.) * To change people’s thinking about health and illness. (Some success here, more needed.) So, Paul read Saturday's post about the doctor/book author who wanted some patient stories about problems paying for cancer treatment. (See Need Some Stories) His response, he said, was, "Yeah, me too." He went ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136742 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:50:47 +0100 1136742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136743&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Ftykerb-and-medi.html I mentioned a little while ago that I am eligible to go on Medicare this month, because it is the two-year anniversary of my becoming legally disabled and going on Social Security Disability. I've been very slowly gathering info on the pros and cons of being a cancer patient on Medicare, and one worry I had was paying for my Tykerb ($3,500/month) on Medicare because it is a prescription drug, so I thought I would fall into the infamous "doughnut hole" on Medicare Part D. So this morning I got this e-mail from a reader: Thought you might be interested since you will start Medicare Disability soon. Have your Tykerb run through on the Medicare Part "B" insurance which will cover the cost of the drug entirely. You will have to search out a drug store which will do it or go through you... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136743 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:00:46 +0100 1136743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1131649&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fneed-some-stori.html Readers--a professor emeritus of family medicine at the Unversity of Washington is working on a book about cancer patients' access (or lack of access) to health care, and he's asked me for some patient stories. He wants to use these in his book, anonymously. He wants patient stories that illustrate the ways that people with cancer can lose access to care: No insurance Losing employment-based insurance Medicaid not covering some treatments or meds Denial by insurers And so on. If you have a story to share, please add it as a comment below, or send me an e-mail, and I'll pass it on. Thanks, Jeanne (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1131649 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:47:49 +0100 1131649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1130886&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fdrug-samples-an.html We're getting a daily copy of USA Today here at the hotel in Tucson, so I'm reading it, and I found a story that at least deserves a mention: Drug samples don't serve at 'safety net' for poor, study says Now, I never assumed that drug samples DID fill this need, but that apparently is what the drug companies claim. In fact, the free samples are more of a marketing tool, to get doctors to prescribe one drug over another and patients to ask for expensive drugs by name, rather than accepting a cheaper generic. Magazine and TV ads targeting consumers do the same thing. The study's findings were still surprising: 82 percent of the people who receive free samples have health insurance, while only 18 percent of those who get the samples do not. The story also says that there is a trend amon... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1130886 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:22:26 +0100 1130886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126310&cid=t_155046_97_f&fid=35605&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmcountry.net%2F2008%2F01%2F02%2Fhappy-pharmacy-new-year%2F So, did you work today? If the answer is yes, and you work in a pharmacy, you know what Pharmacy New Year is. For those of you who don’t know, let me explain: January 2nd is the first day doctor’s offices are open again, many of them since before Christmas, or at least since last Friday. That means, a ton of faxes (though for some reason I got even more on New Years’ Eve than today), and a lot of “patients” realizing they are “sick” because they don’t want to go back to school/work. Plus, it’s a new insurance plan year, so lots of people have new cards or deductibles (that they never seem to know about until their script turns out to cost $300) or formulary changes. On top of that, Zyrtec just went generic, and is going OTC later this m... PharmCountry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126310 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:39:05 +0100 1126310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1093007&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fnote-to-self-re.html Writing about prescription drugs reminded me that I need to renew all my prescriptions before the end of the year. My health insurance plan is WSHIP, the Washington state high-risk pool for people private insurance companies refuse to insure, and WSHIP has a mail-order pharmacy called Medco. If I order my drugs through Medco, the pharmacy sends a three-month supply (with the exception of some pain meds and other drugs in that category) and charges me only one copay. Annually, I have a $1,000 copay on prescriptions. I usually hit that in November or December, and after that I don't pay anything for refills until January when the clock starts over. That's why it's a good idea to refill all the prescriptions that I can before the end of the year. Every little bit of $$$ saved counts... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1093007 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:16:34 +0100 1093007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510705&cid=t_155046_97_f&fid=35605&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmcountry.net%2F2007%2F10%2F16%2Ftransfer-happy%2F Ok, so, yeah, I (Source: PharmCountry) PharmCountry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510705 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:49:38 +0100 2510705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=916047&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F09%2Ffrom-the-democr.html The folks on democraticunderground.com are discussing my search for a Canadian husband, as reported in the Seattle P-I. My favorite post, so far, is this one: While the snicker factor is obvious, this does bring up a veryimportant aspect of our whole health care "insurance" mess in this country. And that is, why are so many Americans dependent on the status of a romantic relationship for access to and affordability of health care? I've been uninsured since last August (employer is small, can't afford insurance). I will not be insured until after my fiance and I are married on November 23 and I will then be eligible for coverage under his work policy that just started. If something major happens to me before that, I'm up shit creek. Millions of others depend on a spouse or significant ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=916047 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 02:57:01 +0100 916047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814071&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fcutting-medical.html Cancer center waiting rooms are a great source of old magazines. Yesterday, while waiting for my blood draw, for lack of other reading material, I picked up a back issue of Money mag (November 2006). Two articles caught my eye, one on how to avoid being the victim of a scam, and the other on saving money on medical bills, "50 Ways to Cut Your Health-Care Costs." No. 4 is "Look for mistakes." That's the statistic I referred to yesterday, that as many as eight out of 10 medical bills contain errors, increasing the bill by an average of 25 percent. I have to say, in all the years I've lived with cancer and wrestled with medical bills, I've found a lot of errors and only one was in my favor. So these aren't just random errors. Don't pay any bill until you are SURE that it is correct. M... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814071 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:43:33 +0100 814071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811790&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fmedical-bills-e.html As I've said before, I have trouble mustering both the energy and the focus to sort out medical billing problems. So I tend to let them go for a month or two, or longer, until I have a batch, and then I deal with them all at once on a day when I've got a head of steam up. So on the Monday before I left for the beach, I gathered up a stack and went to the phone. I always make these calls from my landline, as I don't want these folks capturing my cell phone number--I never give that out to medical providers, only to my nearest and dearest. Here's how it went: Bill No. 1 This was a bill from Quest Diagnostics, a lab which runs my tumor marker tests now that I've switched doctors. The bill was for $102 and change. I talked to Tim and discovered that Quest didn't have my insurance info (do... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811790 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 01:13:38 +0100 811790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=728377&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fmedical-billing.html Well, this was a mistake, on a 97 degree day I was paying bills for July (always a problem for me, see Paying Bills), and I decided to try to straighten out one of my pending medical billing problems, since the mail included a letter from a collection agency concerning the bill. The bill was from Swedish Medical Center, for $72, for "ongoing outpatient care" with a date of service of 11/28/2006. Now my insurance provider, WSHIP, has a contract with Swedish, so after I've paid my out of pocket deductible and copays of $1,000 a year, I don't pay any more for medical care during the year as long as I stay with the providers on the list. (If you've been in cancer treatment, this will make sense to you. If you haven't, it may not. It's a whole new vocabulary out there in Medical Billing Land.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=728377 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:38:35 +0100 728377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674123&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fpaying_bills.html I hate paying bills, which is why it is the 10th of the month and my bills are not yet paid. It’s not that I don’t have the money (I do, barely). It’s that paying bills takes concentration and focus and energy (plus a good pen), and those qualities have been in short supply around here for years now. Oh, yeah, and organization. I’ve now learned to put all the incoming bills in one place, a shoebox, and I’ve set up a proper file with labeled file folders for paid bills and receipts—this is especially important since I am self-employed and need to save proof of all my business expenses, plus medical paperwork, and so on. Even so, when I sit down to pay bills, something like two-thirds of the envelopes I open are not really bills, they are marketing offers of various types... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674123 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:15:07 +0100 674123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644482&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F05%2Funiversal_healt.html Barack Obama is the first presidential candidate to come out with a promise of universal, affordable health insurance. For that, he has my vote. It's that simple. One irony: the news story from AP says the plan is "similar to the one covering members of Congress." Congress has always had a way of taking care of its members, while leaving the common folks out here struggling to get quality, affordable health care. How many years have we been waiting for this? The Clintons came the closest, in recent memory. Obama offers universal health care plan Other candidates: Democrat John Edwards thinks the answer is to require everyone to have health insurance, in the same way that states require all drivers to have auto insurance. How many of you have been hit by an uninsured motorist? I have.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644482 Tue, 29 May 2007 20:51:06 +0100 644482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=592533&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fbrazil_does_it.html Brazil has gone ahead and broken the patent on an AIDS drug made by Merck and Co., and will import a cheaper generic version of the drug from Thailand, Rueters reported on Friday. Brazil followed the example of Canada, Italy, and Thailand to use a clause in World Trade Organization rules to flout drug patents in the name of public health, Reuters said. Apparently, 200,000 people with AIDS in Brazil receive drugs paid for by the government--anyone listening in Washington, D.C.? Brazil is a relatively poor country, and it can afford to do this. Despite the war in Iraq, we are still the richest country in the world, and we let people with serious illnesses hang out to dry without health insurance, and without adequate disability and other government support. As I've written before, as a... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=592533 Sun, 06 May 2007 17:05:05 +0100 592533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=586396&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fupdate_on_go_br.html Reuters reported today that Brazil rejected a price cut from Merck & Co. for its AIDS drug, and now the president will decide whether his country will honor the drug patent or import a cheaper generic version. Brazil provides AIDS drugs free of charge to anyone in the country who needs them, and had asked Merck to sell the drug for the same price it sells it in Thailand, 65 cents per pill. Merck made a counter-offer of $1.10 per pill, according to Reuters, which was rejected by Brazil's ministry of health. As a cancer patient who is taking two very expensive drugs, Herceptin and Avastin, for which there are no generics, I'm all in favor of countries breaking drug patents and stopping the obscene profiteering on sick people's misery. Obviously, I'm not an unbiased observer. And I stil... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=586396 Thu, 03 May 2007 23:16:53 +0100 586396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=574685&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fgo_brazil.html Reuters reports from Rio de Janeiro that Brazil has taken the first step toward breaking an AIDS drug patent when the Health Ministry decreed the drug was in the "public interest" and too expensive to buy. The drug, Efavirenz, is patented by Merck & Co., which refused Brazil's request for a sharp price reduction so that the government could afford to supply the drug to an estimated 75,000 people who need it. Brazil's lauded AIDS treatment program guarantees free drug cocktails to Brazilians with AIDS, according to Reuters. (Are you listening, George W. Bush?) The report also said that Brazil wanted Merck to cut the price of Efavirenz to $0.65 per pill--the same price paid by Thailand--from the $1.59 per pill paid by Brazil. OK, so it's not a cancer drug, but it's a great precedent, as ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=574685 Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:15:14 +0100 574685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=567334&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fcap_on_wship_is.html I've been sick and not following the health news as closely as I usually do, so I didn't realize until today (in an e-mail from Joshua Welter at WashingtonCAN) that the version of 5930 that passed the full state legislature over the weekend lifted the $1 million cap on WSHIP. This is good news for me--great news, in fact--because if the cap had not been lifted, I would have hit the $1 million lifetime max on my health insurance before the end of the year and been without health insurance coverage. This plan, the Washington State Health Insurance Pool, or WSHIP, is a high-risk pool for people like me who health insurance companies refuse to insure. This solves my immediate problem, but it doesn't solve the greater problem of how to fairly insure the citizens of Washington state, almost... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=567334 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:53:53 +0100 567334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=544419&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fwashingtons_ins.html As regular readers of this blog know, I've been lobbying for better health insurance coverage in my home state of Washington, not just for people like me with expensive, chronic illnesses, but for the almost 600,000 people in the state who have no health insurance. I'm been disappointed in my state reps and senators, and especially disappointed in Governor Chris Gregoire, a cancer survivor herself, so it's great to see that our state insurance commissioner is not just a front for the powerful health insurance industry (yes, it is an industry, one that wants to make money, and that includes the so-called "nonprofit" health plans). Mike Kreidler, the insurance commissioner, seems to be on the side of the people who elected him. That's refreshing. And, sadly, unusual. But, for today, le... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=544419 Sat, 14 Apr 2007 17:34:06 +0100 544419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=505218&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fworking_america.html The Working America Web site has collected almost 700 health insurance horror stories from people around the country. Not all of these are people with cancer, of course, but the stories illustrate how universal these problems are. Warning: these stories are heartbreaking. Health Care Hustle (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=505218 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:55:05 +0100 505218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=496534&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fleave_the_gov_a.html Well, the power of the blog. I am assured that the WSHIP cap will be raised in time, through some administrative fix that quite honestly I don't understand. So please don't harass the governor on my behalf (although I greatly appreciate the effort made by those of you who did). If you already have, no harm done, but if I can trust what the Insurance Commissioner's Office is saying, I will not be left without health insurance. That is, of course, a huge relief. Now my lobbying efforts are going to go into getting more slots restored to Basic Health, the state health insurance plan for low-income folks. The House version would only add 4-5,000 slots (remember 60,000 were taken away a few years ago, and not all of those have been restored yet). But we will be lobbying the Senate next ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=496534 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 21:41:23 +0100 496534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=496535&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fi_need_your_hel.html I wrote yesterday that Washington state's governor lacks compassion, but I decided that a better word is empathy. Compassion is first cousin to pity, and I don't want pity. But empathy, that's more like, "There but for the grace of God go I," which certainly fits this situation. Governor Chris Gregoire, a breast cancer survivor herself, doesn't want the emergency clause in the health care legislation now before the legislature that would raise the cap on WSHIP to a lifetime max of $2 million from $1 million. With the emergency clause, the change in the law goes into effect as soon as the governor signs it. Without it, it won't help me, since my health insurance through WSHIP, the state high-risk pool, is going to max out in about September or October, leaving me to face $300,000 a yea... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=496535 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:28:12 +0100 496535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492119&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fgovernor_wont_s.html I was told yesterday that the governor, Chris Gregoire, doesn't want the emergency clause in the bill that would raise the cap on WSHIP to a lifetime max of $2 million from $1 million. Of course, without the emergency clause, the change in the law won't help me, since my health insurance through WSHIP is going to max out in about September or October, leaving me to face $300,000 a year in bills for my cancer treatment. Pretty cold. And the governor herself is a breast cancer survivor. You'd think she'd have more empathy. Of course, SHE has health insurance, as do all state employees. And we, the taxpayers, pay for it. I called the gov's office for a comment, and Kristin Jacobsen called me back. Jacobsen's response to my question: "She hasn't weighed in on that yet." Translation: The... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492119 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:02:42 +0100 492119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492120&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwship_a_failure.html Well, I certainly wouldn't call WSHIP a success. The Washington state legislature continues to debate changes to various health insurance plans offered in the state, including the Washington State Health Insurance Pool, or WSHIP. WSHIP provides very expensive health insurance to people who private insurance companies refuse to insure. I've written quite a bit about WSHIP in recent weeks, and yesterday I had a phone conversation with Kären Larson, executive director of WSHIP. She had e-mailed me, saying she wanted to talk to me to confirm when I would hit the $1 million max on my health insurance (September or October). Larson also told me that the WSHIP revisions bill was heard that day in the House Health & Wellness Committee, which I knew, but I was unable to make the trip to Olym... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492120 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:19:25 +0100 492120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492123&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fcant_be_cured_n.html OK, so maybe I'm a little sensitive, but the point of many stories in the press recently about the high cost of cancer drugs seems to be that people who cannot be cured, like me, should not be treated, because the drugs we receive are too expensive. My rant is in response to this story in the LA Times, posted on Newscloud, my new source for breaking news (Newscloud is an online community for breaking-news junkies started by my friend Jeff): Setting a Price for Putting Off Death As a cancer patient with stage IV disease (there is no stage V, to quote Emma Thompson in “Wit”) who receives some of these very expensive drugs, there are a couple of lines in this story that make me shiver. Actually, even the headline makes me shiver. How about: "The Cost of Prolonging Life" instead? But ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492123 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 19:10:40 +0100 492123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492125&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwhy_is_hercepti.html This is a question to keep asking and asking. Government needs to get involved, obviously. Insurance companies could probably exert pressure as well. And of course we individual patients have more power than we know, so keep asking. Why should a woman who gets Herceptin in the United Kingdom pay $2,000 a dose, while a woman in the United States pays $4,600 to $9,600? The company that developed Herceptin, Genentech Inc., is a U.S. company. When I asked a spokeswoman for Genentech about this, she said that pricing outside the U.S. is set by Genentech’s parent company, Roche, which also distributes the drug in Europe. But that’s not an answer, obviously. A partial answer is the huge markup taken by distributors and cancer centers themselves. See The True Cost of Herceptin. But t... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492125 Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:50:56 +0100 492125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492128&cid=t_155046_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwaiting_and_wai.html The debate over whether or not to allow a “generic Herceptin” is actually pretty interesting. Or it would be, if the lives and financial wellbeing of women with breast cancer were not at stake. Let’s reduce the debate to lowest terms: Herceptin costs my insurance company $78,812 a year. If I didn’t have insurance, and paid the full price charged by my cancer center, it would cost me $163,185 a year. That’s at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle. At the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, just across town, the full price for one year’s treatment with Herceptin is $106,334. My insurance company pays less because the cancer center has a preferred provider relationship with it. Normally, when a company develops a new drug, it applies for a patent. Typically, the patent protec... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492128 Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:18:22 +0100 492128