Please help thanks!?!
Question: how much does a lukemia cancer treatment cost and how are the bills sent to you? We do have blue cross. Thanks
Answers: how much does a lukemia cancer treatment cost and how are the bills sent to you? We do have blue cross. Thanks
The bills will be very high - probably hundreds of thousands of dollars - depending on the type of leukemia. Don't worry about that right now. If you are covered by Blue Cross you should be OK. My advice is to save all the bills in a folder. Don't try to pay them right away. You have to wait until the insurance pays and the amount you are required to pay is sorted out. This should be limited under most policies.
I am assuming you mean an acute leukemia which requires hospitalization. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a completely different situation requiring mostly outpatient care which is less expensive.
I would think the treatment center would bill Blue Cross and then bill you for what the ins. co. doesn't pay. My best guess...I don't know the cost.
I would say to get in touch with hospitals and treatment centers and Cancer Societies you go to and see if they will give you a break, unless you have the money. Often, people with no money and no health insurance can get treatment for free. If you have the money, I guess you could pay parts of it. Problem comes with clinical trials. Sometimes those are not paid by health insurance.
Healing be unto you and yours and me and mine in
Forgive Affirmed Spirit
Since you have insurance, as long as you go to participating providers your insurance will be billed and then you will be responsible for any co-pays or co-insurance per your contract. Please review your contract and call BlueCross right away and tell them of your diagnosis, ask about getting a case manager to help you with the process to make sure everything is going to go smoothly. My local BC was very helpful when I got my cancer diagnosis and have helped answer many questions along the way.
I'm not sure what the treatment for leukemia is but assuming you have a bone marrow transplant you will have a bill for a hospital stay. That will go to BC and then you will be charged your inpt copay (usually between $100-$500 per your contract). You may recieve MRI, CT or PET scans and you would pay your diagnostic copay at time of service for these (per your contract). Any chemotherapy, or radiation would also have a copay, (I believe the same as an office visit, but again, check your contract or call BC). As your hematologist/oncologist or local American Cancer Society if they can refer you for financial councelling. There may be assiatance in covering your uncovered costs (copays) especially if you don't have income coming in because you are unable to work.
One thing to watch for is that they get pre-authorizations for any diagnostic imaging. If for example the MRI facility does not get an pre-auth, they won't get paid. They may try to bill you the total cost, but it's their job to get the auth so you are not responsible to pay if they don't do their job. But to play it safe, I always ask when I get to an imaging appointment if they have an auth, because who wants to go through the hastle or arguing with someone when you're dealng with your illness?
I wish you physical healing and peace of mind. Good Luck