1. < Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)
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Cost of treatment

Posted by mlassen1 @mlassen1, Oct 13 5:09pm

I am currently living in Panama, without insurance and have been diagnosed with NETS, biopsied and they believe its origin is the small intestine . I have had 2 Lanreotide shots , one each month and Im about to have my third. An evaluation is to occur after this shot which so far has been good. I feel great and my wife is a retired oncology nurse and she says I show no signs of cancer. The Lanreotide shots are over $2000 per shot. Does anyone know how to lower this cost?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) Support Group.

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sophiarose | @sophiarose | Dec 7 6:49am
In reply to @kevinmonroemi "I get Lanreotide monthly at the University of Michigan they bill at 30,000 before I was..." + (show)
Profile picture for kevinmonroemi @kevinmonroemi

I get Lanreotide monthly at the University of Michigan they bill at 30,000 before I was on Medicare my Blue Cross PPOM covered it. They now take my Medicare and it 100% covered Medicare pays about 6,500. When i get them at a Cancer Clinic in North Carolina they bill 8,500 and they also will take what medicare pays. However never get them out of state without confirmation from insurance company they wouldn’t pay out of State with the policy I had

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@kevinmonroemi
So glad you posted to the site
I live in New York and I am moving to North Carolina in January
I have Medicare and a secondary Athem (blue cross blue shield)
My octreotide is currently 100% covered
Is there anything I should be aware of insurance wise please let me know
Thank you

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kevinmonroemi | @kevinmonroemi | Dec 7 7:17am

With Medicare you should be good to go! As far as I know cancer drugs are all covered! Except your deductible which we meet with the first injection in January every year. I have a vacation home on the beach and get my shots in Jacksonville Nc when I am there, never hurts to check with the clinic ahead of time though.

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splendrous | @splendrous | Dec 8 9:35am

I do not have any knowledge of insurance options in Panama. I did want you to know that if you have no hormones released from your tumors which 70-80% of people fall in this category than you will have no symptoms from your neuroendocrine cancer.

My tumors do not produce hormones causing flushing, diarrea, etc. I just had 12 tumors surgically removed from my liver and I had no symptoms and would never know they were there except for the MRI's that showed them. Best of luck.

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