Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man With Breast Cancer Denied Medicaid Coverage Because He's Not a Woman
ABC News ^ | 08/08/2011 | ALICIA TEJADA and COURTNEY HUTCHISON

Posted on 08/08/2011 12:05:35 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

For Raymond Johnson it was bad enough being diagnosed with cancer when he was just 26 and with no health insurance, but his shock was only aggravated when he was denied Medicaid, because rules say men are not covered for breast cancer.

Johnson, a construction worker from Charleston, S.C., is one of the roughly 2,000 men who develop breast cancer each year -- just 1 percent of all breast cancer cases.

But doctors say even though the numbers of cases may be small compared to the number of women who get the disease, what male breast cancer patients suffer is no less real.

When Johnson developed the lump, he said he ignored it, thinking it was just a cyst and wanting to avoid the cost of a doctor's visit. Besides not having health insurance, he said, his job for a small construction company does not allow him to make ends meet as it is.

But then over the July 4 weekend, he said, the lump caused an unbearable pain and he rushed to the emergency room.

"They thought it had to do with my heart, but I showed them the lump and they sent me to get a biopsy," Johnson said. "That Tuesday, I was notified I had breast cancer."

Johnson said he was shocked, because he'd never had health issues before, but more than that he was concerned about how he would pay for treatment.

"I get paid $9 an hour, I don't know how I'm going to pay for it," Johnson said he told his doctors.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: breastcancer; medicaid

1 posted on 08/08/2011 12:05:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I believe this was settled. His insurance will cover it.


2 posted on 08/08/2011 12:06:32 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sacajaweau
Maybe you missed the first sentence where it says he doesn't have health insurance?


"Breast cancer is not exclusive to women, I know there's not near as many cases [in men] but it's certainly an issue to think about," she said. "What this 26-year-old man is going to endure, with chemo radiation and surgery, we're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars. This boy is never going to recover financially."

Appelbaum said that while the Center will be able to help with some of his finances for breast cancer treatment, the bills for his chemotherapy and eventual surgery will be astronomical.

Johnson, who was sent to the not-for-profit Roper Saint Francis Hospital for treatment, said his bills have already added up to about $4,050 since July.

"It's stressful on me and my family, especially now that I can't work because of what the chemotherapy does to my body," he said.


For what it's worth, I'm in the same boat as this guy: Job doesn't provide health insurance, don't make enough money to buy my own. At least I don't have any dependents, but damn, I hope I don't get hit by a bus (or get cancer).
3 posted on 08/08/2011 12:11:12 PM PDT by OnlyTurkeysHaveLeftWings
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Sacajaweau
Maybe you missed the first sentence where it says he doesn't have health insurance?


"Breast cancer is not exclusive to women, I know there's not near as many cases [in men] but it's certainly an issue to think about," she said. "What this 26-year-old man is going to endure, with chemo radiation and surgery, we're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars. This boy is never going to recover financially."

Appelbaum said that while the Center will be able to help with some of his finances for breast cancer treatment, the bills for his chemotherapy and eventual surgery will be astronomical.

Johnson, who was sent to the not-for-profit Roper Saint Francis Hospital for treatment, said his bills have already added up to about $4,050 since July.

"It's stressful on me and my family, especially now that I can't work because of what the chemotherapy does to my body," he said.


For what it's worth, I'm in the same boat as this guy: Job doesn't provide health insurance, don't make enough money to buy my own. At least I don't have any dependents, but damn, I hope I don't get hit by a bus (or get cancer).
4 posted on 08/08/2011 12:11:12 PM PDT by OnlyTurkeysHaveLeftWings
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Who ever told this guy he was equal?


5 posted on 08/08/2011 12:13:06 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
The best resource for Breast Cancer, in my opinion, is:

Breast Cancer Prevention Institute

Unlike Left wing groups like Susan G. Komen, this group states that abortion and oral contraceptives can cause breast cancer.

Their authoriative booklet: Breast Cancer: Risks and Prevention states this, and is written by a PhD in Endrinology and a MD who is a Breast Cancer Surgeon.

6 posted on 08/08/2011 12:13:53 PM PDT by topher (Traditional values -- especially family values -- are the values that time has proven them to work)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

This is a perfect example of a “cause” that’s been hijacked by lefto feminists. I’m willing to bet most people out there were/are unaware that men can get breast cancer, since POS front organizations like Susan G Komen censor info to suit their political & social agenda.


7 posted on 08/08/2011 12:16:59 PM PDT by surroundedbyblue (Live the message of Fatima - pray & do penance!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
.... but his shock was only aggravated when he was denied Medicaid, because rules say men are not covered for breast cancer.

I have had experience with billing in my medical practice, a lot of it with breast cancer, for over 23 years and this story just does not pass the "smell test".

Medicaid eligibility usually is determined by low income and ability to pay. Almost by definition, if he was employed as a relatively well paid construction worker, he would have been denied Medicaid for financial reasons alone.

Once you qualify for Medicaid, I can see Medicaid denying a man breast cancer routine screening (because the yield would be too low to be cost effective) but, once a lump develops, that is considered a "diagnostic" test rather than routine screening and, once a cancer is diagnosed, cancer is cancer.

I can see, however, since Medicaid does not pay squat, for any condition, that his Medicaid payments would not cover the cost of cancer treatments.

8 posted on 08/08/2011 12:31:09 PM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: surroundedbyblue

How many Walk/Run events do we see with nationwide, widespread media,realizer, and corporate support for testicular cancer?

Women’s health is more important and/or women with breast cancer is more tragic than men with cancer... or so society would be led to believe...


9 posted on 08/08/2011 12:34:52 PM PDT by TheBattman (They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: All
The following article [from US Government National Institute of Health] on study of Breast Cancer in Swedish Men:

Note this link is a PDF

*** PDF *** British Journal of Industrial Medicine: Occupational risks for male breast cancer in Sweden *** PDF ***

According to that article, radiation exposure and oestrogen were found to be causes -- on the man's occuption.

For example, if the man worked with the manufacture of soaps and perfumes, that increased the exposure to oestrogen.

People may not realize that estrogen is a carcinogen in terms of Breast Cancer [more that estriadol is a carcinogen, but estriadol is derived from estrogen].

Thus, oral contraceptives that girls/women take can significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.

Additionally, the abortion link is because pregnancy stimulates the growth of type 1 and type 2 lobules, and then terminates the pregnancy during a time of high estrogen exposure and before the lobules have matured into type 3 and the final type 4 lobules...

See the Breast Cancer Prevention and Risks Institute booklet for an authoriatative discussion of Breast Cancer and its risks.

The head of this institute is a Breast Cancer Surgeon and person who teaches Breast Cancer Surgery. Also affliated with this organization is a PhD in Endrocrinology/Biology -- Joel Brind. He is an expert on Hormones and the effect on the human body -- such as estrogen and progesteron.

Dr. Angela Lanfranchi [MD, FACS] is: Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School -- Piscataway, NJ.

I believe she has been a Breast Cancer Surgeon for quite a few years [at least a couple of decades].

She is head of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.

Here is the impressive list of the board of directors of this institute:

Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., F.A.C.S., President/Treasurer
Mary L. Davenport, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Secretary
Joel Brind, Ph.D.
John T. Bruchalski, M.D.
Jo Ann Gerling, R.L.C., I.B.C.L.C.
Jeanette R. Joyce, B.F.A., R.T.(R)(M)
Peter Mazolewski, M.D., F.A.C.S.
William L. Toffler, M.D.

10 posted on 08/08/2011 1:06:38 PM PDT by topher (Traditional values -- especially family values -- are the values that time has proven them to work)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheBattman

Breast Cancer has almost become a cottage industry, because women have no issue putting it on stage as almost the worse thing to befall a human being in history.

Of course that is a very important part of a females body for 100s of reasons, and the cancer should not be diminished, but it does have the tendency to suck all of the air out of the room when it comes to equally devastating cancers in men, that cant be symbolized with pretty pink ribbons and soft photos of women with the emphasis on presenting their breast area.

Guys dont want to speak of that part of their body in public, and barely in private.


11 posted on 08/08/2011 1:10:30 PM PDT by VanDeKoik (1 million in stimulus dollars paid for this tagline!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: topher
For the Breast Cancer Booklet:

Breast Cancer Prevention Booklet: Risks and Prevention [Fourth Edition]

For the Home Page of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute:

Breast Cancer Prevention Institute

12 posted on 08/08/2011 1:11:52 PM PDT by topher (Traditional values -- especially family values -- are the values that time has proven them to work)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Polybius

Pease read the last sentence. Does this qualify as a “relatively well paid construction worker”?


13 posted on 08/08/2011 6:27:23 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Allowing Islam into America is akin to injecting yourself with AIDS to prove how tolerant you are..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson