high cost of healthcare

[Guest guest]

I'm interested to find out that some others also have had bills as high as

mine. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth staying with my cml specialist at

MSKCC. I could see a local oncologist every three months and only pay one

$15 copay each time. My copays for the doctors alone for one visit at

MSKCC were $177. I re-checked my bill and saw that I am charged copays for the

dr. who read the cytogenics, the dr. who did the molecular interpretation,

the pathology group dr., the leukemia specialist, the cardiologist who

interpreted my EKG, among others. Is this all necessary? I could have a pcr

blood test ordered by my local oncologist, pay him a copay, then the local

lab one copay as well. I could save this copay money that the cancer

hospital charges me for what seems like every person who works there! When I

was diagnosed, I was encouraged by online discussion groups to see a cml

specialist, but now I wonder if the cancer hospitals are ripping us off. I

know we see the doctors who specialize in our disease, but some of these

charges seem ridiculous! Do we really have to pay the dr., then also pay for

the office space he sees us in? Also do we have to pay for the blood draw,

then for 10 or 15 pathologists who interpret the results? It makes me feel

like I should just give up. (I am not in a trial. I take Tasigna).

Thanks for listening.

in NY