Yesterday, I had an update from Megan--she's still fighting, but the news is not good. Her radiation oncologist, the doctor who had recommended stereotactic radiation to treat her brain mets, has what is called a "peer-to-peer" review with the local California Blue Shield m...

I just saw a story on Bloomberg about Tykerb. The story said that the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has rejected Tykerb to treat women with advanced breast cancer because it is too expensive.  The story gives the cost of a year's worth of Tykerb as about $3...

Like a lot of people, I've been trying to figure out the stimulus package that was rushed through the Congress, and of course I"m having trouble. It's hard to comprehend numbers that large. And the details are awfully vague. But one thing is really bugging me: Why didn't President O...

Whenever I'm interviewed by mainstream media or write something for a mainstream publication about how much I pay for health insurance and how high my out-of-pocket costs are (typically $20,000/year), there are a certain number of people who send me nasty e-mail or post comments along the lines ...

There are some advantages to being a professional squeaky wheel (my new job title).  The first is that, within hours, my health insurance coverage with WSHIP was reinstated and the bureaucrats at WSHIP are sending me make-nice e-mails.  Well, actually, that's the only advantage. The ...

It has not been a good week on the health insurance/medical billing front. Sometimes I think these folks are trying to get me to stroke out, which would end their financial responsibilities then and there! I received a letter from WSHIP, the Washington state plan for uninsurable folks, now my second...

Be careful with the information you give your cancer center or hospital. It may be used in ways you did not expect, ways that may seem like a violation of your privacy. Not too long ago, my oncologist sent me to have some tests and scans at Northwest Hospital, which is where his clinic is based. Whe...

This one is a doozy.  It arrived shortly before Christmas in with a batch of holiday greetings from friends near and far.  I read it, but it made no sense, so I put it aside to deal with after Christmas. Which would be now.  It's a collections letter from an outfit called Credi...

This is an update on my post of June 13, about a young cancer survivor in Oregon whose cancer center was insisting that she make larger monthly payments than she could afford on a $700 bill. Here's that earlier post: Who's the Grinch at St. Vincent's in Beaverton? After I posted that, I received an ...

I received the first e-mail in this string about a week ago, from a man I will call "George," whose wife was just diagnosed with breast cancer. They have no health insurance. Anyone who lives in New Jersey and knows what resources are available to help George and his wife, please post a comment belo...