How Much Does Dialysis Cost?!!

[mallory]

I just got back from my dialysis clinic.  Everything went fine, and while I was there the social worker came in to talk to me.  In the course of our discussion, he mentioned that he had turned in my application for Medicare, and it takes from three to six months to get it approved.

Then he said I should not be alarmed by the bills I'm going to start receiving, that I should tell them I'm "unfunded" at the present time and they will need to resubmit the claim in a few months. And he said I could always apply for a hardship benefit with my insurance company, that would help with the cost as well.

Now I was getting worried.  I asked him how much I would have to pay for the dialysis.  He said each treatment is approximately $400, and I had to pay 20% of that.  I'm not sure what he was defining as a "treatment" a day of dialysis, one exchange, I just don't know.

Just doing some quick math, I think that means I will have to pay $80 per day, best case scenario.  ARE YOU KIDDING?!!  That's approximately $2400 a month?!! 

Is that what it will cost me o be on PD?  I don't make that much money, and my family doesn't have that kind of money, not on an ongoing basis.  I don't understand at all how my insurance and Medicare work, but I guess I had hoped it would have been better than this.

Is that really what I can expect to pay going forward?  I have to tell you, I have a very good life insurance policy and it's starting to look like I'm worth more to my family dead than alive.

[goofynina]

Hi Mallory,  Here are some links to this very matter:  If you have any further questions, please dont hesitate to ask 

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=154.0

and

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=464.0

[Rerun]

Mallory, it is absolutely absurd what they "charge" for dialysis.  Now, because you are on home PD Medicare will be retroactive to your first dialysis.  I mention this because if you are in center Hemo then there is a 3 month waiting period.  But, you should have NO bills.  It may take awhile for Medicare to catch up once you are approved, but you shouldn't have any costs.  EXCEPT you will have to pay a monthly Medicare premium.  It is $96 or something.  And, I think help is available for that.  I pay it quarterly, so I can't remember right off the top of my head.

Do not pay anything until Medicare does its part.  You may have some bills before you started the actual dialysis exchanges.

[BigSky]

Also the 20% is not 20% of what the clinic charges.  It is 20% of the Medicare approved amount, which is more lower than what the clinic is trying to charge.

[mallory]

Oh, thank you, thank you, all of you!  I was so upset after I left the clinic and got to thinking about what he had said.  I called my sister and I was just sobbing. I just couldn't understand how anyone was supposed to pay that much, especially since a lot of dialysis patients aren't even able to work.  I do work, and I don't have that kind of money.

I thought he meant that after my insurance and Medicare, I'd have to pay 20% and that it would be about $2400 a month.  But what Rerun said makes sense because he also said to tell them to resubmit the charge in a couple of months, so he must have meant after I get Medicare.

It's still shocking how much this costs.  It's made me kind of take stock of my life and see if I'm worth the cost.  Do you know what I mean?  I hope I can still contribute enough as a human being to be worth it.

[Rerun]

Oh, thank you, thank you, all of you!  I was so upset after I left the clinic and got to thinking about what he had said.  I called my sister and I was just sobbing. I just couldn't understand how anyone was supposed to pay that much, especially since a lot of dialysis patients aren't even able to work.  I do work, and I don't have that kind of money.

I thought he meant that after my insurance and Medicare, I'd have to pay 20% and that it would be about $2400 a month.  But what Rerun said makes sense because he also said to tell them to resubmit the charge in a couple of months, so he must have meant after I get Medicare.

It's still shocking how much this costs.  It's made me kind of take stock of my life and see if I'm worth the cost.  Do you know what I mean?  I hope I can still contribute enough as a human being to be worth it.

Mallory I went through the same feelings and emotions.  Read the posts that Goofynina suggested.  They "charge" me $3,000 a time for hemodialysis.  That is $10,000 a week or $40,000 a month.  I don't care who you are......$40,000 a month to stay alive??  But, as you will read.......that is what they "charge" that is not what they get.  After negotiated savings and all the other bullshit I don't know what they end up with but it is Plenty!

Look at it this way.  We are helping the economy!  What makes me sick is because it is Medicare funded and they know they will get "some" money they will keep anyone with a pulse on dialysis.  That is where the moral controversy comes in to play.

[Black]

Check to see if there are any not-for-profit centers in you area.  We have DCI here in SC.  They do not make patients pay for anything.  If you have insurance they accept Medicare and whatever your insurance will cover as payment in full.  If you don't have insurance, they accept whatever Medicace will pay as payment in full.

[RichardMEL]

I understand down here in the land of the Kangaroo public haemo like I am on costs the govt ~$60,000 (AUD) a year....

When you see how much things like Anaresp/Epo and stuff cost, plus that they throw out like dialyzers and all that stuff it makes sense, though I hate to think about how much the health system is paying to keep us going... but I sure apprieciate it when I get a tax bill!

[Zach]

This is also a good thread.  There's a lot of info on the topic.

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=1994.0

[angela515]

Just make sure you keep any bills they send you for future refrence.

In my situation, I don't work, I receive SSDI. I have Medicare, and a Medicare Supplement. Which means Medicare pays their part, and my Medicare Supplement pays my 20% part. Also, because of my low income, the state pays my Medicare premium's and my Medicare Supplement premium's. I also have Medicare Part D for my prescriptions, also no premium, or deductible.. I have $5 and $2 co-pays for the begining months of the year and then I have $0 co=pays for the remaining time due to some of my medicines being $1000.00/month and the state paying them I reach my "catastrophic" level after a month or 2, which is great for me.

Just letting you know, there are lots of programs out there to help you financially during your time on dialysis. Your social worker should be able to help you apply for these programs if you qualify. I just brought up my issues/concerns with my social worker and she took care of the rest, she's great.

Good luck hun!

[mallory]

I've read all of the other threads, and they were a great help.  Let me ask this one more question: If I get billed an amount, and Medicare will only pay some portion of that, and my private insurance only pays some portion of that, do they still bill me for the remaining amount?  Or do they accept the amount they get from Medicare and my insurance? 

I'm kind of struggling with this because I can pay some, but I admit I can't pay $2400 a month, as I think the social worker was telling me.  I am also having trouble with them saying I'm "unfunded" because I have a job and I've always paid my own way.  I don't really feel that I'm unfunded.

He kept saying "There are a lot of things you can apply for, so don't worry."  But I'm having a little trouble because I don't want to be dependent, I want to be self-sufficient, do you know what I mean?  Is it just impossible for dialysis patients to be reasonably financially independent?

[angela515]

I'm not sure on the first part of your question.

There are lots of prgrams out there made to help the financial aspect for dialysis patients, I say use them as thats what they are there for. Who knows how long you will be on dialysis, and seeing how much it costs over the years could end up costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars over time... if theres programs willing to help you during this time, why not do it?