Here We Go Again

Tomorrow I'm back at the SCCA. I used to think of it as "Oncology Friday" (or Thursday or whatever), but I have to admit that now that I've started receiving the EOBs ("Explanation of Benefits") and invoices ("bills"), I'm finding it hard not to think of it as "$20,000 Friday."

Which of course prompts me to say once again, "To all the other people in my insurance pool -- Thanks!"

Gratitude not withstanding, I still find it mind boggling that the procedures I'll be going through tomorrow generate $20,000 in bills. And I'm not at all sure what to make of the fact that $13,000 of that total is paying for a very tiny plastic bag full of a drug that isn't even chemotherapy.*

And really want to blow your mind? Consider, returning to my last post and my calculation page, that if we assume I'm going to live four more years with an oncology appointment every three weeks that creates $20,000 in medical bills, we're looking at roughly $1.5M in treatment costs.**

Who says you can't put a price tag on human life?***


* No doubt you could get the same drug in Mexico or somewhere for like $50.
** $118,000 + (((52/3)*4)*$20,000) = $1,504,667
*** It does make one wonder, though, if the folks paying the bills would think they're getting their money's worth. Personally, I think I'd have a hard time arguing that my remaining years are worth $1.5M (but then I'm a cheapskate).