Medical Costs are insane....

[Faebinder]

I have to admit that the numbers are f-ed up in the US. My grandfather has a liver cancer, needs a liver resection... so I went to check on the costs and what not... for a whipple since he might also need it on top of the liver resection, the quote I was given is approximately $125,000. This is not including the chemotherapy and what not.

I'm thinking... this is insane... and I know the surgeon doesnt collect more than than 1% of the price.

Seriously, who can afford to survive now a days? I am not even sure where the majority of the cost goes... the room? the medications? the nurses? I dont know but it seems on the insane side.

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[NonTradMed]

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.

I think the cost may be partly from the expensive equipments. When I worked at a hospital, there were million dollar machines that had to be paid off and part of that is the hospital bill that is charged to patients.

Also, I've heard that hospitals will charge insured people extra money to cover the cost of uninsured. What should have been a free tylenol is $3/pill. And what should have been a $100/day/room is $1000/day/room.

Of course, advances in healthcare is generally making medical care very expensive. The drugs, trained nurses/doctors/etc....they all add up. It could simply be that everything costs more to produce, from the human capital to the drugs and equipment, and this is all passed on to the consumer, the patient.

 

[sdn1977]

I'm also sorry to hear about your grandfather.

But...in an attempt to offer some help - the price you had quoted may not in any way be the price which is actually billed to his insurance & secondary (I'm guessing he qualifies for Medicare & might have a secondary as well.)

If he's uninsured, the price again will be different than if you, a young health person would go in & inquire about the cost.

Likewise, if he's uninsured, he might qualify for assistance thru a variety of programs.

The numbers thrown around - the $3 acetaminophen for example (I'm a pharmacist who has done about 25 years in acute inpt), is an example of the pricing structure which is used to calculate the DRG for a particular admission - that is not what is actually billed to a cash pt.

Altho...many, many years ago when my husband had to have a brain tumor removed & I asked the surgeon about the price, he replied "Does it matter?" Really, at that time, it didn't. I don't say that to diminish what your grandfather is facing, which is a difficult course to say nothing of the cost. But....check out what his insurance costs are - you might be surprised.

I wish him the best of luck in his treatment ahead!

 

[Miami_med]

I'm also sorry to hear about your grandfather.

But...in an attempt to offer some help - the price you had quoted may not in any way be the price which is actually billed to his insurance & secondary (I'm guessing he qualifies for Medicare & might have a secondary as well.)

If he's uninsured, the price again will be different than if you, a young health person would go in & inquire about the cost.

Likewise, if he's uninsured, he might qualify for assistance thru a variety of programs.

The numbers thrown around - the $3 acetaminophen for example (I'm a pharmacist who has done about 25 years in acute inpt), is an example of the pricing structure which is used to calculate the DRG for a particular admission - that is not what is actually billed to a cash pt.

Altho...many, many years ago when my husband had to have a brain tumor removed & I asked the surgeon about the price, he replied "Does it matter?" Really, at that time, it didn't. I don't say that to diminish what your grandfather is facing, which is a difficult course to say nothing of the cost. But....check out what his insurance costs are - you might be surprised.

I wish him the best of luck in his treatment ahead!

It is not entirely impossible that the 125k surgery will cost Medicare 15-20k and cost your grandfather nothing. The inability of the consumer to access the magic insurance price structure is the real problem. That and cost shifting to paying patients from non-payers.

 

[sdn1977]

There is no "one" magic insurance price structure.

There are hundreds! Medicare is just one. But, your Blue Cross/Cigna/Aetna/Blue Shield, etc.....may be different from mine & the neighbor's down the street.

The difference comes with what our employers buy for our benefits.

But, as a consumer, you can often access your own information pretty easily. I did mine when I had surgery last year. They were quick to tell me what my deductible would be & when it would be satisfied, what my co-pays were, what each physician would be paid (surgeon, anesthesiologist, pathologist, etc...) & what my obligation would be to each provider - from hospital, lab, physicians, etc...

Now...that was last year's benefits. This year is different, so I cannot assume from last year that it would be the same this year. I have not looked since so far (thankfully, I have no need!).

Again....the OP's grandfather should have an advocate with him (another family member, a trusted friend, the OP him/herself - if time allows) to find out the insurance coverage before he has to begin this expensive treatment since it is not an emergent issue.

If he is a private pay patient, he can be expected to pay a deposit upon entering the hospital & agreeing to a payment structure.