Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 Just to clarify....insurance companies do pay for Thyrogen when using it for an RAI diagnostic scan.....not treatment dose. I had my first Thyrogen scan in July and my total out-of-pocket costs (Thyrogen injections, blood work, scan dose, scan and radiologist's fee) amounted to less than $200 (real costs were about $2500). If you choose to have Thyrogen to raise your TSH to have an ablative dose, my guess is that the insurance would deny all coverage probably making the patient's cost in excess of $5000. Marilyn Dx in 1994, papillary w/follicular variant and lung metastases. Positive scans in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998. 435mCi's RAI. Clean scans 1999, 2000, 2002...the last one using Thyrogen. > Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. > Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does > that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, > doctor, etc.? > > best, ronni > TT 3/4/02 > Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 > RAI 4/2/02 > 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 Just to clarify....insurance companies do pay for Thyrogen when using it for an RAI diagnostic scan.....not treatment dose. I had my first Thyrogen scan in July and my total out-of-pocket costs (Thyrogen injections, blood work, scan dose, scan and radiologist's fee) amounted to less than $200 (real costs were about $2500). If you choose to have Thyrogen to raise your TSH to have an ablative dose, my guess is that the insurance would deny all coverage probably making the patient's cost in excess of $5000. Marilyn Dx in 1994, papillary w/follicular variant and lung metastases. Positive scans in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998. 435mCi's RAI. Clean scans 1999, 2000, 2002...the last one using Thyrogen. > Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. > Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does > that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, > doctor, etc.? > > best, ronni > TT 3/4/02 > Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 > RAI 4/2/02 > 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 Just to clarify....insurance companies do pay for Thyrogen when using it for an RAI diagnostic scan.....not treatment dose. I had my first Thyrogen scan in July and my total out-of-pocket costs (Thyrogen injections, blood work, scan dose, scan and radiologist's fee) amounted to less than $200 (real costs were about $2500). If you choose to have Thyrogen to raise your TSH to have an ablative dose, my guess is that the insurance would deny all coverage probably making the patient's cost in excess of $5000. Marilyn Dx in 1994, papillary w/follicular variant and lung metastases. Positive scans in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998. 435mCi's RAI. Clean scans 1999, 2000, 2002...the last one using Thyrogen. > Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. > Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does > that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, > doctor, etc.? > > best, ronni > TT 3/4/02 > Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 > RAI 4/2/02 > 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 I had a thyrogen injection for my third RAI... doc was trying anything he could think of since the previous two hadn't worked. It was given a couple of days before the ablative dose. My insurance (BCBS PPO) paid 100% other than the normal deductible and copay. Guess I was lucky! Bonnie __________________________________________________ Yahoo! - We Remember 9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 I had a thyrogen injection for my third RAI... doc was trying anything he could think of since the previous two hadn't worked. It was given a couple of days before the ablative dose. My insurance (BCBS PPO) paid 100% other than the normal deductible and copay. Guess I was lucky! Bonnie __________________________________________________ Yahoo! - We Remember 9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 I had a thyrogen injection for my third RAI... doc was trying anything he could think of since the previous two hadn't worked. It was given a couple of days before the ablative dose. My insurance (BCBS PPO) paid 100% other than the normal deductible and copay. Guess I was lucky! Bonnie __________________________________________________ Yahoo! - We Remember 9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 My doctor wanted me to use thyrogen for the initial abaltive dose after my TT. Because FDA can not yet approve thyrogen for this use ( not enough numbers yet) the cost of the thyrogen is the only thing I had to pay. This was $1300 a wholesale cost for the two tiny bottles of fluid. EVERYTHING else was covered. Doctors visits, injections, blood work, RAI, hospital costs, nuc doctors costs, WBS, etc. The thyrogen WILL be covered 100% for the next dose - a scan in 6 months. Betsy 5/24/02 CT and FNA node biopsy, dx pap cancer 6/4/02 PET scan 6/18/02 TT and neck dissection 7/17/02 thyrogen shot 7/18/02 thyrogen shot 7/19 150 RAI 7/22/02 WBS 7/26/02 WBS > Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. > Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does > that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, > doctor, etc.? > > best, ronni > TT 3/4/02 > Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 > RAI 4/2/02 > 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 My doctor wanted me to use thyrogen for the initial abaltive dose after my TT. Because FDA can not yet approve thyrogen for this use ( not enough numbers yet) the cost of the thyrogen is the only thing I had to pay. This was $1300 a wholesale cost for the two tiny bottles of fluid. EVERYTHING else was covered. Doctors visits, injections, blood work, RAI, hospital costs, nuc doctors costs, WBS, etc. The thyrogen WILL be covered 100% for the next dose - a scan in 6 months. Betsy 5/24/02 CT and FNA node biopsy, dx pap cancer 6/4/02 PET scan 6/18/02 TT and neck dissection 7/17/02 thyrogen shot 7/18/02 thyrogen shot 7/19 150 RAI 7/22/02 WBS 7/26/02 WBS > Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. > Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does > that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, > doctor, etc.? > > best, ronni > TT 3/4/02 > Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 > RAI 4/2/02 > 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 My doctor wanted me to use thyrogen for the initial abaltive dose after my TT. Because FDA can not yet approve thyrogen for this use ( not enough numbers yet) the cost of the thyrogen is the only thing I had to pay. This was $1300 a wholesale cost for the two tiny bottles of fluid. EVERYTHING else was covered. Doctors visits, injections, blood work, RAI, hospital costs, nuc doctors costs, WBS, etc. The thyrogen WILL be covered 100% for the next dose - a scan in 6 months. Betsy 5/24/02 CT and FNA node biopsy, dx pap cancer 6/4/02 PET scan 6/18/02 TT and neck dissection 7/17/02 thyrogen shot 7/18/02 thyrogen shot 7/19 150 RAI 7/22/02 WBS 7/26/02 WBS > Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. > Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does > that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, > doctor, etc.? > > best, ronni > TT 3/4/02 > Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 > RAI 4/2/02 > 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2002 Report Share Posted September 11, 2002 My Endo told me that, other than my first treatment with RAI, all of my follow-up scans would use Thyrogen. Is this right? Chris Dx Pap Thyca 8/26/02 3.5cm TT - Pending Westford, MA From the PC of: M. Nichols Asset Manager P F thyrogen/RAI $$ Quick question in regard to the costs of using thyrogen for RAI. Since the FDA does not approve of it's use for this procedure, does that mean the patient must pay all costs associated... hospital, doctor, etc.? best, ronni TT 3/4/02 Neck Dissection (left modified) 3/11/02 RAI 4/2/02 6 month scan at end of the month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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