Before I get into the costs, a little explanation of terms:
Billed amount - What the provider usually charges.
Paid by plan - What insurance actually paid. This is substantially lower than the billed rate because there is a discounted rate negotiated between insurance and provider, AKA plan rate.
Paid by me - Difference between plan rate and amount paid by plan.
This is the total cost from the time I was diagnosed until my chemo port was removed:
Billed amount: $2.4M
Paid by plan: $1.1M
Paid by me: $8,600
I didn't actually pay $8,600. I had financial help from Amgen, Genentech and Kaiser. My cost was closer to $4K.
Some notable prices:
| Procedure | Cost |
|---|---|
| Chemo | $440K |
| Lumpectomy | $46K |
| Radiation therapy | $100K |
| Kadcyla | $436K |
| Chemo port | $27K |
Chemo cost is interesting. Some of my infusions were Taxol only, and some were combined with Herceptin and Perjeta which are immunotherapy drugs. The Taxol infusions cost $5K, but when combined with Herceptin and Perjeta, the price shot up to $54K.
Stanford's prices are highly inflated. Some examples:
| Item | Billed amt | Paid by plan |
|---|---|---|
| Kadcyla (per infusion) | $91,653 | $42,160 |
| Office visit | $712 | $214 |
| Bone density scan | $1,243 | $572 |
Price comparison among providers:
| Procedure | Stanford | Kaiser | PAMF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kadcyla infusion | $42,160 | $11,410 | |
| Echocardiogram | $2,843 | $962 | |
| Biopsy | $8,800 | $4,200 | |
| MRI | $7,178 | $3,374 | |
| Physical therapy | $104 | $296 |
In summary, cancer treatment is expensive. Don't get sick without health insurance.
