If you don’t have any insurance, the self-pay cost of IG-SRT can be significant – on the order of a few thousand dollars for the entire course – but it depends on how many sessions and the pricing structure of the clinic. Radiation treatments are not cheap because they involve specialized equipment and personnel for many sessions.
However, many practices (including ours) might offer a discounted package or payment plan for uninsured patients. We understand paying out-of-pocket for 15-25 sessions is daunting, so we would work with you. Some clinics use a sliding scale or cut the price close to what Medicare would pay (since Medicare rates are lower than “list” prices).
To give a ballpark, if billed at full rate, superficial radiation might be, say, $200-$400 per session. Over 20 sessions, that could be $4,000-$8,000. The ultrasound guidance and planning add some cost too. But often, self-pay can be negotiated lower than the sum of individual charges.
It’s important you talk to our financial counselor. We could possibly bundle the cost into a single fee and potentially reduce it because we’d eliminate insurance billing overhead. Also, there might be charity care or financing options.
Some patients without insurance might consider alternative treatments due to cost (like a one-time excision might appear cheaper), but if IG-SRT is strongly preferred or needed, we try to make it possible.
The actual cost for you would be quoted after consultation with our billing department. We’d factor in how many lesions, how complex, etc., and present an estimate.
If you truly have zero coverage and cannot afford it, there might be local programs or patient assistance funds for cancer treatment that we could direct you to. We don’t want cost to be the sole barrier to you getting proper care.
In summary, IG-SRT without insurance could run several thousand dollars, but our office can provide an exact quote and likely offer a discounted self-pay rate or payment plan to help manage the expense. It’s always best to discuss openly with us; we have dealt with uninsured patients before and will do what we can.
Remember too: any cancer treatment is a serious medical need, so sometimes state Medicaid or other programs could be applied for if you qualify, to cover it. If you’re eligible for Medicaid/OHP (Oregon Health Plan), that’s an avenue to consider as well, since they would cover it if you enroll.
But directly answering: expect a few thousand dollars in total if paying completely out-of-pocket. This is why we urge exhausting insurance options or financial aid if available, to ease that burden.
