Subject:  Not-so-good news |
Author:
Cliff
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Date Posted: 23:33:42 01/18/05 Tue
I just found out this weekend that my dad's cancer has returned, back in the same lung where it was last time. I guess they caught it pretty early--his November x-ray looked clean, but there was a spot in December. The doc said at the time that it might be cancer, or it might be nothing--just a spot on the x-ray film. But they checked, and it's cancer. So he'll be back on chemo again. They won't use Taxol, because his feet are still recovering from the last time he used it. The doc wants to use a brand new drug that just became available within the past couple months. It's taken as a pill, like the one you're taking (but it's not the same drug, though I can't remember the name of it). But there are questions about whether my dad's insurance will pay for it. Medicare pays 80%, and their supplement with Blue Cross/Blue Shield pays 20%. But supposedly BCBS won't pay, because since it's a pill, it's considered outpatient treatment. Right.....the Taxol cost almost $18,000 per treatment, 3 or 4 treatments per month, and they paid their 20% of that. The new drug would cost just $2,200 per month, and they WON'T pay???? Doesn't make much sense, does it? We don't know yet if Medicare covers their share. My mom is ready to visit the local BCBS office and raise hell. Hopefull they'll get it worked out, and hopefully Dad will respond to the new drug as well as he responded to Taxol (though hopefully he won't have the side effects!)
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