Press play to listen to the audio version of this post. The voiceover was generated by Speechify AI.
To Whom It May Concern:
Have you ever wondered what your total breast cancer treatment would’ve cost if you were uninsured?
I’m a left-brained numbers girly, so this is a question I used to ask myself every single time I received a bill. Instead of living in a constant state of wonder, I conducted an experiment to find the answer to my unresolved question.
My experiment was 3 months in the making, and it wasn’t a simple process to receive my past financial statements. I made 21 calls, I was put on hold for a total of 5-6 hours, I was transferred 32 times on the phone, and I even sent in fax and mail requests with no follow up. I refused to take no for an answer and recently received everything I needed to conduct my experiment.
If I was uninsured, my total breast cancer treatment would have cost…
$618,283.44
Keep reading to review the details behind my experiment by reviewing the 9 questions and answers below:
1. What is the breakdown of the total?
Refer to my high-level table, below:
| DESCRIPTION | CHARGE |
|---|---|
| Chemotherapy/Infusion | $211,759.26 |
| Bilateral Mastectomy Surgery & Inpatient Services | $174,801.55 |
| Plastic Surgery/Implants | $146,323.18 |
| Port Placement Surgery | $22,166.62 |
| Port Removal Surgery | $13,173.72 |
| Physical Therapy | $16,750.00 |
| Egg Retrieval Procedure | $6,050.00 |
| Oncotype Assay | $4,620.00 |
| Radiology | $4,461.00 |
| Office Visits: Oncology | $6,425.10 |
| Office Visits: Fertility | $6,278.01 |
| Office Visits: Breast Surgery | $2,140.00 |
| Office Visits: Plastic Surgery | $690.00 |
| Office Visits: Gastroenterology | $425.00 |
| Second Opinion | $2,220.00 |
| TOTAL | $618,283.44 |
2. Did you break these number down even further?
Yes, click here to access my excel spreadsheet.
3. Did you pay the full $618.283.44 out-of-pocket?
No. This total is what my breast cancer treatment cost BEFORE my empoyer-based insurance benefits were applied. This is how much my treatment cost at face value.
4. What is the time frame of the experiment?
My total includes charges between July 2019 and June 2020. I chose July 2019 as my start date because this was the month of my diagnosis, and I chose June 2020 as my end date because this was the date of my last surgery.
5. What did you include in the total?
Hospital, professional, and medical bills for services related to cancer treatment only — chemotherapy, bilateral mastectomy, plastic surgery, inpatient services, physical therapy, fertility, radiology, office visits, labs.
6. What did you exclude in the total?
Hospital, professional, and medical bills related to prescriptions, pre-admission testing, therapy, integrative medicine. Please note that I did not qualify for and undergo radiation.
7. Why did it take 3 months to obtain your past financial statements?
I underwent breast cancer treatment in New York City, and I recently moved to LA where I now have different health insurance. Therefore, I could not log into my old insurance company’s portal to retrieve my past bills and statements. I had to fight tooth and nail to receive my past financial records.
8. How did you ensure accuracy?
During active treatment, I recorded every single appointment I had in two locations — my electronic calendar and my personal appointments tracker. When I received my past financial statements in the mail, I corresponded each bill to my personal records and was able to identify what totals were missing. That’s why this experiment took 3 months. I wanted to be as precise as possible.
9. Why did you conduct this experiment?
I wanted to shed light on 3 important topics:
- ACCESS — Have you heard the saying, “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege?” I have such mixed feelings. When you or a loved one is ill or injured, you should have access to doctors, medication, and treatment. Unfortunately, that’s not everyone’s reality. Even though we have programs like Medicaid and Medicare, there are still major gaps in our healthcare system that prevent access and affordability. We have a lot more work to do in health policy.
- ERRONEOUS BILLS — More often than not, insured patients receive erroneous bills with full totals. Why? Mostly due to clerical errors and lack of coordination. There are many patients who have to advocate tirelessly with insurance companies, hospital billing departments, and doctors’ offices to rectify and prevent paying in full. Want to know the kicker? Most patients have to deal with this DURING active treatment.
- MY TOTAL EXCLUDES A LOT — My total excludes costs related to prescriptions, pre-admission testing, integrative medicine, therapy, money deducted from my paycheck due to sick time, uber rides to and from the hospital, supplies, and so much more. Patients have many more expenses outside of medical bills.
Every time I receive a bill, I will no longer wonder what my total breast cancer treatment would’ve cost at face value thanks to this experiment.
However, I will never cease to be amazed at how expensive healthcare really is in the United States, and I will always wonder when healthcare will become a right and not a privilege for all.
Breast regards,
Michelle
