Question: Cost

At one point during the year and four-month battle that I was having with doctors and insurance companies, I had reached the point where I was so discouraged that I thought I might as well just pay for the whole treatment out of pocket avoiding the insurance companies and their bureaucracy. I asked a woman in the finance department at the Institute what would this cost. And her answer, – over $40,000. She also said they rarely accept patients without insurance.

This seemed very costly until I was able to look at what goes on behind the gantries. They have a team of doctors, physicists, engineers, nurses, radiation therapists, and a large support staff. They also have the latest cyclotron which is a particle accelerator and expensive to support and maintain.

Other costs to consider are lodging, food, and travel

I’ll address the question about insurance in another post.