Posts Tagged ‘breast cancer’

Breast Cancer Medication and Health Insurance – Will your Prescriptions be Covered

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

This medication may or may not be covered by your insurer, and you might have to fight to get it approved. Tamoxifen is a breast cancer medication, which automatically sends up a red flag to many insurance companies. That is where most of the side effects come from when taking this medication: too much estrogen in the body. Because this works as an anti-estrogen on the breasts, it actually has an adverse effect on the female genitals and reproductive organs, heart, and bones. Tamoxifen is a unique drug that was created specifically to block estrogen and its actions, which is a leading cause of breast cancer.

The problem with this and other cancer treatments is that the drug also affects healthy cells, which can cause weakness and other side effects of chemotherapy that cancer patients are told to expect. The active ingredient in this medication, paclitaxel, is designed specifically to stop the division and multiplication of the cancer cells, allowing the cancer to stop growing and eventually die. Like many cancer drugs on the market, Taxol and health insurance do not always go hand-in-hand. Taxol is specifically created to treat ovarian, breast, and lung cancer in patients, and can provide much needed relief from cancer symptoms and the spreading of the disease.

Insurance companies like hearing that certain cancers can be prevented, and are much more willing to spend a few thousand dollars on prevention than to spend up to 10 times as much on treatment of cancer and other diseases when they don’t have to. Tamoxifen is a great medication for all that it does, and if you need insurance coverage you need to know where to look. People who are taking Tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer will have a better chance of approval for coverage than people who are taking it to treat the disease.

In many cases, you can even talk to the drug company about getting on a program that will help you afford your medications. Of course, having private health insurance is always going to be easier and less hassle. Private insurance companies aren’t out to get you. They are just out to make a profit. Start by reviewing your own insurance company’s policies regarding cancer and preventative treatments. If you start out by knowing what they allow or expect, you will have less let-down and struggle later. If they don’t cover treatments like Tamoxifen, find a company that will.

When it comes to maintenance treatment and ongoing care for things like cancer and other chronic diseases, insurance companies lose a lot of money. If they spend months paying for expensive prescriptions that you need for your situation, they are losing profits because you are ill for a longer period of time. In most cases, insurance companies deny these medications because it simply costs them too much money to pay for them. Take the time to find out about cancer treatment options and prescription coverage when you are looking at health insurance so that you don’t find out that you aren’t covered when it is already too late.

Sean L Johnson is a journalist for Health Insurance Buyer a referral service that connects consumers to the insurance carriers that can best fit their wants or special needs. Click on link to access your free rate quote for health insurance through states High Risk Pool

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Cancer Health Insurance – You Can Qualify for Conventional Coverage

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

When you throw financial responsibility into the mix, the situations and the experiences can become even more complex. For this reason it’s important that you do your best to get the best cancer health insurance that you can find. You may begin to form new kinds of friendships with people. You will also become more conscious of your health and of your body in general. For people who go through this treatment and the illness that is responsible for your needing the treatment, there are many changes and complex emotions. When you are about to go through cancer treatment, you have a lot on your mind. This kind of serious treatment can really cause you to think differently about your life.

Cancer treatment is always expensive, but you will need to know the details in order to make the most intelligent insurance decision. This will be your fist idea of what kind of funding you will need. The reason is that you will want to communicate with them about how much treatment you will need, what kind of help or assistance you will need, the duration of the treatment, and what kind of costs you are talking about. When you are looking for cancer health insurance, your first step should be to consult with the doctors and specialists with whom you are working most closely.

The problem with going to the health insurance carrier directly is that you are going to end up talking to customer service representatives who may end up frustrating you more than they are helping you. It is not because they are bad at their jobs, but only because you are in a serious situation, and you want definite answers so that you can plan the best you can. Your next step will be to go online for the cancer health insurance. This may seem counterintuitive to many who thought that the best thing to do would be to go to the insurance company directly.

You’re going to have to deal with all kinds of expensive procedures and medications, and it’ll be much more cost effective in the long run to purchase a solid insurance policy than to have to pay for all of your treatment expenses out-of-pocket. Insurance is probably one of the last things on your mind during a dime like this, but it’s crucial to making sure that you have the resources and funds necessary to get the treatment you need. If you don’t already have insurance, then you should definitely do your best to get some. If you’re dealing with a cancer diagnosis, then you definitely want to be prepared for what’s coming next.

When you go online to look for cancer health insurance, you will be able to get a good list of free quotes from some of the largest names in the health insurance industry. This will certainly give you a list of the lowest possible process. It will also give you a sense of what kind of coverage you can realistically expect, especially if you are getting ready to dip into your savings. The treatment is never going to be cheap, but the weight can be lifted off your shoulders if you know how to find the best insurance.

Sean L Johnson is a journalist for Health Insurance Buyer a referral service that connects consumers to the insurance carriers that can best fit their wants or special needs. Click on link to access your free instant quote for insurance, even if diagnosed with cancer previously

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Mammograms Are Crucial To Breast Health – Free And Low Cost Programs Available

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Even though women know the importance of getting mammograms routinely after the age of 40, many have fallen behind in this crucial tool for their overall breast health. There are numerous groups that sponsor programs to promote breast health awareness, but even with widespread media events, these groups are still not getting the response desired.

There are several reasons why women may postpone getting their mammogram. Some women believe that if they are vigilant about doing breast self-exams, or if they have clinical exams done, they are doing all they should be doing to detect breast lumps and irregularities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), doing breast self-exams, or having clinical exams by your doctor, in lieu of having routine mammograms, has not been found to decrease your risk of dying from breast cancer. Yes, you do know your body best. And, yes, you should do monthly breast self-exams. However, detecting small lumps or irregularities is key to early detection, and physical exams can miss those problems.

The mammogram is an X-ray of the breast tissue. It can find a lump or other irregularity in the breast even before you or your doctor can feel it during a physical exam of the breast. Because of this early detection of a lump, the woman and her doctor can now discuss a wider range of treatments and her chances for a successful outcome increases.

Even if you are a fanatic about routine breast self-exams, you also need to schedule a mammogram. A mammogram in addition to breast self-exam is the only way to ensure that you are providing yourself with proper breast health care.

The National Cancer Institute estimates show that 1 in 8 women born today will have breast cancer during their lifetime. But, whatever the statistics say, it always comes down to just 1. Me. If I want the best chance of fighting breast cancer if I am that one woman, then wouldn’t a mammogram be the best tool to use? Since early detection is the key to fighting and winning, and mammograms give us the earliest detection possible, isn’t it wise to make yearly mammograms a part of life?

Now, to the reality of why some women are not getting their yearly mammogram. Insurance. Many women who agree that mammograms are crucial to their breast health feel they have no choice. They either lack insurance or they are under-insured. These women simply feel they can not afford a mammogram.

With a simple call to your local hospital, you may be very surprised to hear that during the month of October, there are programs being offered for free and low cost mammograms. All you need to do is set up the appointment. The hospital program may even lead you to other programs run by your state or county. Many programs are set up at no cost to provide women with annual exams including mammograms, as well as any follow up care that may be needed.

If you think you can’t afford a mammogram this year, call your local hospital or go online to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), or the American Cancer Society for information about free or low cost programs in your area. Don’t let another October go by without making that call to set up your appointment for a mammogram.

Don’t let the lack of adequate health insurance stop you from getting your yearly mammogram. Call today for information on low cost or free mammograms available in your area.

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