A Brisbane mother is facing thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving radiation therapy, sparking demand from Queensland’s peak medical body for a massive boost to Medicare rebates.
Vanessa Carey found a lump in her breast on New Year’s Eve and was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer just days later.
The suburban mum’s life was upended within weeks as she tried to balance the start of her treatment with getting her son to a new school.
Ms Carey faces a major surgery and weeks of radiotherapy, leaving her to grapple with a significant financial gap despite Medicare covering up to 80 to 90 per cent of the radiation oncology costs.
Since her diagnosis she has been faced with thousands of dollars in “cumulative costs of multiple gap fees” and out-of-pocket expenses for specialist appointments, medications and now radiation treatment.
“Based on what family members have paid for four to five treatments that was around $4500. They paid up front, I have three to five weeks of radiation with $4000 up front each time. (I) could be faced (with) around $10,000 (in bills),” she said.
“While Medicare covers up to 90 per cent of radiation oncology costs that remaining gap is still significant.”
According to the latest government data, Queensland has the highest out-of-hospital specialist and patient fees for radiation oncology, with specialist fees around $176 and patients paying around $120 in gaps.
A National Cancer Council Australia survey revealed an staggering 98.8 per cent of Australian cancer patients hit the wall with out-of-pocket expenses last year, even when using the public health system.
Ms Carey said cancer was expensive and adds up to significant financial stress during an already overwhelming time.
“I have spent thousands of dollars already – PET scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, in the beginning. My surgeon, who I am seeing, was out of pocket – you assume when you get a serious diagnosis, that your private health is going to cover it,” Ms Carey said.
AMA Queensland President associate professor Erica Gannon is calling on the Australian government to make up for “years of Medicare neglect by increasing rebates across the board”.
“Cancer diagnosis and treatment is stressful enough without adding financial worries to the load,” she said.
Dr Gannon said some patients required multiple courses of treatment which can result in significant out of pocket costs, on occasion totalling tens of thousands of dollars.
“Recent advances in radiotherapy are delivering far better outcomes for patients. It’s positive news for the thousands of Australians diagnosed with cancer every year. These treatments, however, are more complex and cost more to deliver,” she said.
Dr Gannon said patients who have private health can become blindsided as they face “large bills” for treatment.
“This can be confusing for private patients who have had minimal or no costs for their cancer surgery and chemotherapy but then find themselves facing large bills for their radiotherapy,” she said.
A Cancer Council spokeswoman said Queenslanders affected by cancer should not be financially ruined.
“As people living in a country with universal healthcare and a publicly-funded social security system, Queenslanders affected by cancer should not be financially ruined, receive sub-optimal care, or be unable to obtain healthcare, due to cost,” she said.
A spokesman for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing said Minister Butler has also expressed his concerns about the rising cost of medical specialist services in general.
A fundraiser has been launched for Ms Carey to help assist with ongoing medical costs.