"I think had he known the costs, Terrance would have objected to spending an amount equivalent to the cost of vaccine for nearly a quarter million children in developing countries."
Amanda Bennett
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/03/lessons_of_a_618616_death.html
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4 comments:
Fascinating. Heartbreaking. That money is such a big consideration is almost beside the point of what this woman and her husband went through. Of course they tried everything as long as they had any hope, and as long as he was willing to try despite side effects. Was it worth it in terms of money? Probably not. In terms of their having more time together and keeping hope alive? Sure. She'd do it again, she says, and I understand that.
That they were able to do it because of having good insurance puts them well ahead of the many people who wouldn't even have the chance to make those decisions.
Oh, Bill, reading Amanda's story was like going through the five/six year battle Deb and Paul fought against his cancer. It was also liver-based and very rare, although I don't now recall what they called it.
The difference is that the last couple years, they were paying the insurance premiums. After Paul passed, Deb sat down and ran a spread sheet on what the state had paid for their insurance premiums, what they'd paid personally, what they'd paid in deducts and co-pays. I'm not sure how the numbers would have come out, if they'd had no insurance. I do know that when she ran the numbers on what her employer paid in premiums, what she paid to Cobra, the deducts and co-pays, she said that if they'd put the money in savings and *IF* they'd paid the negotiated prices out of pocket, they'd have been further ahead.
I don't know of any way to determine whether the cost of treatment is worth the extra time, experiences and life, with or without side effects. I do know that I think we all ought to have an option to make that decisions and at this point too many people don't have that choice.
Hi Pat
It was a heartbreaking story and you are right without health insurance it would have been even more dramatic. And I imagine the recovery period from grief would be even worse.
Bill
Hi DR
These stories Amanda's and your Deb's are just both gut wrenching and heartbreaking.
Nobody knows what to do when they find themselves in this situation, there just isn't a road map or an instruction booklet.
I completely agree with you everyone should have all the options available to them including life ending ones.
Bill
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