PASTA wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 2:39 pm Fucking superb FMGramsci! Sounds like you're on the same protocol and having the same response as my F.i.L. with MM.
Had my first 90 day MRI since recurrence this morning. My new treatment protocol has had very little side effects since about week 2. In the middle of the 3rd month now. I'll now if it's doing its job on Wednesday and will report in.

another plus, my insurance is covering this treatment 100%. ($0 co-pay)

Great to hear! Man, I can even comprehend how adding insurance claims to this could compound the stress. Here in the UK it’s never even discussed. You have an NHS number on record with your GP and it just follows you around like a magic pixie. You don’t even get letters with cost breakdowns etc. Money is never mentioned. Considering how stressful health issues the US system just seems insane.

Keep it going!

Gramsci wrote:

PASTA wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 2:39 pm Fucking superb FMGramsci! Sounds like you're on the same protocol and having the same response as my F.i.L. with MM.
Had my first 90 day MRI since recurrence this morning. My new treatment protocol has had very little side effects since about week 2. In the middle of the 3rd month now. I'll now if it's doing its job on Wednesday and will report in.

another plus, my insurance is covering this treatment 100%. ($0 co-pay)

Great to hear! Man, I can even comprehend how adding insurance claims to this could compound the stress. Here in the UK it’s never even discussed. You have an NHS number on record with your GP and it just follows you around like a magic pixie. You don’t even get letters with cost breakdowns etc. Money is never mentioned. Considering how stressful health issues the US system just seems insane.

Keep it going!

Gramsci wrote:

PASTA wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 2:39 pm Fucking superb FMGramsci! Sounds like you're on the same protocol and having the same response as my F.i.L. with MM.
Had my first 90 day MRI since recurrence this morning. My new treatment protocol has had very little side effects since about week 2. In the middle of the 3rd month now. I'll now if it's doing its job on Wednesday and will report in.

another plus, my insurance is covering this treatment 100%. ($0 co-pay)

Great to hear! Man, I can even comprehend how adding insurance claims to this could compound the stress. Here in the UK it’s never even discussed. You have an NHS number on record with your GP and it just follows you around like a magic pixie. You don’t even get letters with cost breakdowns etc. Money is never mentioned. Considering how stressful health issues the US system just seems insane.

Keep it going!

Same with Australia, every adult carries a Medicare card. Free healthcare to all listed on it . Children are on parents cards until adulhood.

We also have private health cover, as we are lucky enough to pay for it, Which means we get dental, optical, etc etc and access to Private Hospitals should we not need emergency care. Our Private health insurance runs about $250 AUD a month.

The weird thing about private healthcare in the UK is that it’s really only for “front door” stuff. As soon as you have anything non-elective or life threatening you get immediately bounced into the NHS. When I had my first consultation the doctor asked if I had private insurance, currently not, although I did in the past. I asked what difference it would make, his reply was “we’d be talking in a room upstairs with more plants”.

I also find it weird at no point has anyone asked if I have the right to treatment. I do, but no one ever asked. Anecdotally there’s an element of racism here because often black or brown people have had their right to treatment questioned and actually refused/billed.

Gramsci wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 1:27 am

PASTA wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 2:39 pm Fucking superb FMGramsci! Sounds like you're on the same protocol and having the same response as my F.i.L. with MM.
Had my first 90 day MRI since recurrence this morning. My new treatment protocol has had very little side effects since about week 2. In the middle of the 3rd month now. I'll now if it's doing its job on Wednesday and will report in.

another plus, my insurance is covering this treatment 100%. ($0 co-pay)

Great to hear! Man, I can even comprehend how adding insurance claims to this could compound the stress. Here in the UK it’s never even discussed. You have an NHS number on record with your GP and it just follows you around like a magic pixie. You don’t even get letters with cost breakdowns etc. Money is never mentioned. Considering how stressful health issues the US system just seems insane.

Keep it going!

I've existed in both Canadian/USA medical systems through a couple 'larger than usual' medical traumas, and even though my spouse and I have excellent USA insurance, it's still definitely an added a stress because you don't know when something will get denied because of some office nonsense.
I took on the responsibility of everything so my spouse wouldn't have to deal with it, but even though we're married because the primary insurance is under their work which I have nothing to do with, and even though I'm approved to make changes, it was a pain getting that stuff changed to me each time. But then what if I was a shit partner and just using that as some weird control thing?

This all would be more manageable if you just had one health insurance number that follows you like you do with public health care.... except each health insurance company manages things in the way THEY want to - so you need to get familiar with their plan names, groups etc.. It's so convoluted with marketing BS and overall, under regulated for consistency of care.

My spouse's work was changing providers and just the hoops we had to jump through to ensure continuation of care was bonkers - it's also just from an efficiency point of view, a colossal waste of time and resources and responsible for many jobs that exist only to manage insurance, not provide any sort of care.
The strangest part of the whole thing is just how capitalism-ized (Capitalized?) it feels. People in the system don't know any different, the way they speak about it when you're getting processed it feels completely crazy: "Well this is the problem, you're on the Advanced Ultra Care plan which is good but doesn't include Hyper Care, which would cover your Mega-Creme (tm)." None of it should exist!

The insurance thing is just such a hassle, and is so illogical that explaining it makes understanding it harder. My wife sat crying in a ball when the insurance company covered her port (a little implant in your chest that makes chemo delivery easier) but then DENIED THE CHEMO.

She had cancer, she had the fucking chemo delivery device implanted in her chest, the cancer could be terminal with treatment, was definitely terminal without, and they were just like "naw. no treatment for you."

hours of phone trees later and a goddamn written letter from her doc on why she needed chemo or would die, then they finally approved it the next day.

Madness.

Frankie99 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 10:07 am The insurance thing is just such a hassle, and is so illogical that explaining it makes understanding it harder. My wife sat crying in a ball when the insurance company covered her port (a little implant in your chest that makes chemo delivery easier) but then DENIED THE CHEMO.

She had cancer, she had the fucking chemo delivery device implanted in her chest, the cancer could be terminal with treatment, was definitely terminal without, and they were just like "naw. no treatment for you."

hours of phone trees later and a goddamn written letter from her doc on why she needed chemo or would die, then they finally approved it the next day.

Madness.

That’s so visceral and horrible. I hate that they did that to you. We had some similar experiences and even being pretty sure we would be covered after a phone call, the callousness of it was enough to send my spouse into tears, but that was much later - denying initial chemo treatment is insane/medically irresponsible.

//. Unrelated, can I ask how long after treatment your wife kept her port? Mine is mulling it over, as infusions are done and labs will by by February - there’s definitely some “port superstition” that’s hard to shake

MRI results are in. My NO says things look good. No change. The point of this treatment I'm on is to stop growth. I'm tolerating it extremely well, and there hasn't been growth. STEADY AS SHE GOES. I guess this is the best one can hope for, living with an (so far)incurable disease.

Frankie99 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 10:07 am The insurance thing is just such a hassle, and is so illogical that explaining it makes understanding it harder. My wife sat crying in a ball when the insurance company covered her port (a little implant in your chest that makes chemo delivery easier) but then DENIED THE CHEMO.

She had cancer, she had the fucking chemo delivery device implanted in her chest, the cancer could be terminal with treatment, was definitely terminal without, and they were just like "naw. no treatment for you."

hours of phone trees later and a goddamn written letter from her doc on why she needed chemo or would die, then they finally approved it the next day.

Madness.

Jesus fucking christ

Good friend just diagnosed with S3 breast cancer in her mid-40s. Mastectomy and six months of chemo as it has spread to the nodes. Crap. She's tough, but this will be hard going.

Frankie99 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 10:07 am The insurance thing is just such a hassle, and is so illogical that explaining it makes understanding it harder. My wife sat crying in a ball when the insurance company covered her port (a little implant in your chest that makes chemo delivery easier) but then DENIED THE CHEMO.

She had cancer, she had the fucking chemo delivery device implanted in her chest, the cancer could be terminal with treatment, was definitely terminal without, and they were just like "naw. no treatment for you."

hours of phone trees later and a goddamn written letter from her doc on why she needed chemo or would die, then they finally approved it the next day.

Madness.

This is what blew me away when I was studying the US health system. The ability for an insurance company to just say “no” you’re paying for that. It the reason medical bills are the US’s number one reason for bankruptcy… it’s pure insanity. It must have a significant impact on the country’s growth and stability of every family’s other than the super wealthy.