My cousin just had a hysterectomy. Cancer. And it is in her colon too.
I have a friend who had been diagnosed with cancer a few years ago.
It scared me.
So…I made an appointment with my internist. I asked for a slew of blood tests.
Because my whole family has heart disease, I wanted the test called…and I”m NOT kidding…MOTHER FUCKER…which tells you if you carry the gene for heart disease. And I also wanted to get the test to see if I carry the ovarian cancer gene…because apparently it’s genetic. And a few other tests…lipids, cholesterol…etc…
And would you believe…
That insurance does NOT cover the cancer test. Unless…you ALREADY have the cancer.
Not only that but…for us people that want to find out what is going on inside us…the test is flipping expensive!!
Wouldn’t you think that the insurance would be so pro women getting the test…pre-cancer…as a precautionary measure?
I would think that, for an insurance agency, it would be less expensive for a woman to decide, if they are a carrier, to have a hysterectomy and then perhaps some yearly blood work to monitor…
As opposed to…being diagnosed with the stinking disease, THEN… having to get a bunch of your organs removed plus all the other tests and medicines and whatever else goes along with someone who has cancer. Especially when this test could have been available to them at a regular check-up.
I don’t get it.
It doesn’t make a bit of sense to me.
But…I hear that the test isn’t conclusive anyway. There are a lot of false positives. And really, the only way to be sure is to get an ultrasound…which..
insurance covers?!!?
So, I guess I’ll ask for an ultrasound.
Screw you Mr. Insurance Company.
I hope the ultrasound is more expensive than the blood test.
Na na na na boo boo!!
Oh…and on a side note…
It’s amazing how many people are doing searches for Kathleen.
This blog usually doesn’t get more that 110 hits/day. But…the last couple of days…over 300! Kathleen…it seems a lot of people are missing you!! Be safe!!
Insurance of any kind is the biggest scam in this country. Our homeowners’ insurance was cancelled because we have a wood stove, and the only people that would cover us is Farm Bureau, who I hate for political reasons, but we didn’t have an option. We have a 1987 truck, a 1995 Jeep and a 1997 Escort. All of them are paid for and we only have liability coverage, but we pay more per month than my folks pay for full coverage on their 2 2007 Camrys (they live in Tennessee). And health insurance is by far the worst. I’m with you, I do NOT understand why they won’t pay for the diagnostic tests. I think they’re in collusion with the pharmaceutical companies. If you get tested early, you get treated early and won’t need as much medication.
as a cancer survivor i have many, many opinions on this issue. mostly, these tests can’t tell you what you want to know. i understand that you are upset but the best thing to do is read up on preventive things you can do–even with genetics! just because you do or don’t have a gene will not save or doom you–which is why insurance companies don’t cover the test. please understand that if you are shown to have a gene that shows you could carry a certain disease, an insurance company can deny you coverage!
most important to remember–insurance companies are NOT here for the greater good of people. they are businesses, like banks. they are in business gamling on people’s health to make a profit. don’t ever forget that–and as such, they really don’t owe us anything! like the utility and oil companies–they are businesses! we CHOOSE to use their product and pay their prices. we have become accustomed to easy transportation and central heat and electricity but they really aren’t necessities and are a service we have decided to purchase. important, i think, to hold onto our power in this! it’s frustrating because as amercans we have come to assume health care, utilities and transportation as our rights but really, they are services….not rights!
in countries where there is universal health care income taxes are often 50-60%!
You’d think insurance companies would be for protective screening. Oh well, another suckage item for insurance. My ER trip back in July cost me $500 out of pocket and we have decent insurance! Scares me for what’s to come when the baby is born.
That’s freakin’ crazy! WTF? Seriously. You’d think preventative care would be smart for an insurance company. Dude, screw them. For real.
Rarely do the policies of health insurance co’s make sense to me!
Don’t even get me started on insurance… I’m steaming just trying to give you a civil comment instead of a rant against them.
Go get ’em girl!!
Hi Neighbor! Nice to meet ya!!
What a bunch of crap about the tests! Does not surprise me thought. Love the name of the test.
hi miss….
first of all….totally agree. insurance companies suck big hairy ass.
secondly…do you find it interesting that the insurance companies DO cover the PSA test, which is the mans test for prostate cancer? basically the mens version of the ca-125, which is the marker for ovarian cancer.
third….im not trying to discredit mary, who posted earlier. BUT…there are a few things wrong about her comments. for one…i can tell you that genetic testing and finding out if you carry the gene IS important and CAN make a difference in your preventative care. i know…because i have the BRCA1 gene mutation. i was on a clinical trial with a drug that works on this genetic mutation. and it put my cancer in remission, for a while. also…in the future….they are looking into treating the genetic mutation prophylactically. there are A LOT of drugs and testing going into this genetic stuff. also…there is some discrepancy about insurance and if they dont cover you if you do test positive with the mutation. however…i believe this is untrue. i know it was a big topic of conversation and i know a big debate. im pretty sure they changed the rules and WILL cover you either way. i am NOT 100% sure, so definitely check this out. lastly….if your cousin needs someone to talk to, or if there is anything i can do to help…then please dont hesitate to ask me. i wish her lots of luck and send her my best wishes. as far as you…if you believe in this testing, then fight it with your insurance company. ive done this. ive always won. and mary IS correct…a ca-125 does have a lot of false negatives. it is not totally accurate of a test. still…i would want one.
If you have family with ovarian cancer please get the ca-125 test, even if you have to pay for it. I know its not 100% but its worth anything to get a heads up on cancer. My baby sister has ovarian cancer that was found in late April, the size of an walnut, went in for surgery May 6….and it was to big to remove. Its a very fast growing kind. She has had chemo and the best of care since then but its still growing. She looks seven months pregnant. She will die within the next month or two. They told her that when she went throught the change it started it growing. The pain of watching someone you love with this horrible disease is all most unbearable.
Thanks for the prayers, I am glad you’re going to fight the insurance co. When things calm down for me I am going to get involved in the battle for women’s health care. I don’t want another family to go through this pain.