Retired Ohio physician Paul Davis is facing a heartbreaking choice: Pay $50,000 a week for his cancer treatment or go without, Kaiser Health News reported Feb. 14.
Mr. Davis was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer and was prescribed Kimmtrak, a weekly treatment that slows the progress of the tumor; he began taking the medicine in summer 2022. The hospital bill was $49,367.70 for his intravenous chemotherapy: $47,838 for the drug, and the rest covered fees for lab work and medication administration. Medicare paid the provider $11,668.86 for those services, according to the report.
Mr. Davis transferred his care to a closer hospital so he and his wife would not have to drive 100 miles each week for treatment. Medicare denied coverage at the new hospital, possibly due to an error. Mr. Davis is working with the hospital to resolve the bill, but it could be months before the family knows its final bill.
"Is it worth bankrupting my family for me to hang around for a couple of years?" Mr. Davis told Kaiser Health News. "I don’t want to make that choice."
Amy Leach, the hospital's director of public relations, told the publication, "Blanchard Valley Health System is committed to ensuring that accurate billing occurs, and we work with our patients to promptly resolve any concerns."