Being a finance nerd, how else would I spend my time off? Analyze my healthcare costs with pivot table. Here are the breakdown of costs since my cancer diagnosis (as of Dec 2020).
| Procedure | Total Cost | Patient Cost |
| Exam & Scan | $ 81,255.70 | $ 9,514.39 |
| Medications | $ 30,747.91 | $ 284.78 |
| Dr Visit | $ 2,242.61 | $ 681.07 |
| Bloodwork | $ 478.53 | $ 18.59 |
| Immunizations | $ – | $ – |
| Grand Total | $ 114,724.75 | $ 10,498.83 |
As you can see, the cost of medical care in America is ridiculous. These procedures-to-date mostly cover diagnostic scans and exams; Cancer drugs are roughly $15K/mo so the medication number will increase substantially over time. Without insurance, the “sticker price” of the medical costs would be $114K. Even with really great benefits, wide in-network coverage, and $0 deductible, my patient cost (co-pays, co-insurance) still comes out to be over $10K.
I think about how many people would not be able to afford medical care, especially during this time of high unemployment, uninsured/underinsured workers and stay-at-home orders. I’m fortunate that I have the means to be able to seek treatment. It’s sad that in the US people have to make the difficult choice between getting critical diagnostic biopsy and life-saving treatments with basic living expenses or avoiding a lifetime of medical debt. There has to be a better way – healthcare reform would help everybody regardless of age, race or income level.
