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The Financial Burden of Cancer: Are you willing to share your story?
Over the last 25 years, major advancements in cancer diagnostics and treatment have led to significant improvements in clinical outcomes and survival rates. However, the cost of diagnostic procedures, therapy, including chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy, as well as the long-term costs throughout survivorship mean people facing a cancer diagnosis also face substantial financial burden. This is sometimes called financial toxicity.
Mayo Clinic would like to interview 5-6 people who are willing to share their story about the financial burden of cancer. Your experience can help other people going through the expense of cancer treatment.
We are looking for real stories of people who have struggled with the financial burden of:
- mounting paperwork
- looming bills
- confusing financial terminology
- gaps in insurance coverage
- financial fears and insecurity
Do you need to be a Mayo Clinic patient?
No! These stories will support an education program and should not be reflective of any particular clinic or hospital.
How will the stories be used?
Parts of your experience may be used to provide real-life stories in an education program to help newly diagnosed cancer patients.
How can you participate?
- You can participate by phone, in writing or in person. You choose:
- Interview by phone.
- Provide your story in writing via email.
- If you live close to Rochester, Minnesota or Phoenix, Arizona, you might be invited to come to a Mayo Clinic video studio to share your story on camera.
- If you live anywhere else, you might be invited to record an audio version of your story via phone or Zoom.
- Your story may be used in a script to be read by someone else.
If you would like to participate, please post a comment below or private message me at @colleenyoung. Share some of your experience below.
Have you ever been confused by health insurance or billing terminology?
Have you ever wondered, “what’s a deductible, what’s an out-of-pocket maximum?
Have you ever been fearful for your financial security because of cancer treatment costs?
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Hello,
My name is James Mackey. I am currently living in the Philippine Islands, but plan to travel to the Phoenix Mayo Clinic. My insurance will pay the medical costs there, but I am wondering about the hospice costs. I'm not sure if the Blue Shield/Medicare will help with those costs. Any ideas? I am a 74 y/o male with stage 4 colon cancer. Any ideas or thoughts will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jim
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1 ReactionYou're so right, @jldavis823, there are often "circumstantial" expenses, such as getting paid assistance for household chores, caregiving, and for young patients perhaps child care.
I have good insurance, but I needed care and my husband couldn’t do that and work. We needed to have paid assistance for me week days for almost two years. It was all the more difficult because I couldn’t work. My treatment was difficult and had me in and out of the hospital. They even removed one drug from my chemo, since I was hospitalized for 7 days after the first chemo treatment and the doctor was concerned it might kill me if continued. Aflac would have been a help if I could have gotten it.
nice never considered that
i have a good supplemental insurance plan with medicare- no out of pocket costs or copay -love it-and no frickin paperwork
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3 ReactionsMy cancer treatment ran over $100,000.00. Thank full for insurance.
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2 ReactionsWe enrolled in Aflac cancer insurance policy many many years ago via our employer (back then that was the only way one could get Aflac was via employers). And we kept the premiums (family plan: $35.90 month) up all these years. It was a huge life saver!!! The checks just kept rolling in to use as we seen fit. Medicare took care of the Dr. appts, treatments, hospital etc. Aflac took care of the travel expenses etc.
To make it even easier to access I filled in all my log in information then took that page and made a short cut on my desktop.
The patient portal is the coolest thing since the ink pen!!! We live several hours from Rochester, MN and I have had face to face appointments with my Dr's / surgeon via zoom (on the computer) as opposed to driving down there, getting a motel room etc. Saved us a huge expense!!! Can message your care team back and forth (keeping in mind they are very busy people. It may take a couple days for a response).
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3 ReactionsTo use Patient Portal , you need an online account. Then can access via a smartphone app or on web. See for more information at: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/patient-online-services
laurie
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