Cancer Economics

Before cancer, I didn’t pay much attention to health coverage. No one in our family had been seriously ill and we had excellent group insurance through Jim’s employer. Our deductible was negligible. When we were deciding on an oncologist, I remember in my naiveté telling Jim, “I don’t care whether the doctor we choose accepts our insurance, we are going to the place that is best for you even if it means paying out of our own pockets.” Little did I know that our pockets would be emptied along with our piggy banks after first week of cancer treatment.

We were fortunate. For the first five years of cancer treatments, our insurance paid 100%. Even the Neupogen and Epogen injections I gave Jim at home were fully covered. Thank God because the shots would have cost 4,000 dollars a week or 128,000 dollars for the sixteen weeks of treatment.

By the time of Jim’s first lung cancer recurrence, our benefits changed—requiring a 10% co-pay, a sizeable amount considering the astronomical cost of cancer treatment—but still manageable. Manageable, but enough to make us question the cost verses benefits of every recommended drug and procedure.

In 2011, we, the first of the baby boomers became card carrying members of AARP. Medicare is now our primary provider and we had to choose which part, which supplement, and which drug plan we wanted for secondary. After much research and professional advice, we chose AARP for our prescription drug coverage. We followed instructions, contacted our physicians to send in prescriptions, and waited to begin receiving our meds.

Instead we received calls to tell us that several of our drugs had not been approved. Nearly all of those that were approved tripled in cost.

I only take four medications: Boniva, Lexapro, Singulair, and Lumigan (an eye drop for Glaucoma). I could probably live without all but the Lumigan, and I may choose to do just that.

Jim who took no meds prior to his cancer diagnosis now takes a whopping fifteen. And that excludes any chemotherapeutic agents since he is off chemo at the present time. To be fair not all of his medications increased in cost, but the eight that did, skyrocketed.

I have always been sympathetic to the plight of senior citizens who are unable to afford life sustaining medications. I never imagined I would be one of them.

When I fear that we won’t be able to afford Jim’s medications or more accurately that our savings will be wiped out by rising medical costs, I must remind myself that God has provided for us throughout this journey, indeed, throughout our lives. He will continue to provide what we need when we need it. “Therefore, take not thought, saying what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or Wherewithal shall we be clothed...for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

Insurance providers will change; Medicare might fail; Social Security might come tumbling down. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.