Immunotherapy is a broad field of cancer treatment that encompasses many different therapeutic methods. The affordability of some of them is limited by high costs: for example, the price of CAR T-cell therapy reaches 400,000 euros in Europe and 1 million dollars in the USA. At the same time, the cost of immunotherapy can be significantly lower when using other methods.
Pricing principles
Some immunotherapy options used in oncology involve the purchase and intravenous administration or even oral administration of ready-made medications. These drugs are cheaper. The expenses are mainly related to the purchase of the drug, but the price is also influenced by the following factors:
- Hospital stay
- Services of oncologists and other specialists
- Laboratory tests and instrumental diagnostics
- Supportive therapy
Other immunotherapy modalities involve the production of autologous drugs from the patient’s own cells. They tend to be more expensive because they require high technology for their production. The therapy can cost tens of thousands of euros, sometimes hundreds of thousands.
When planning your medical expenses for treatment, you should take into account that you will most likely need other cancer treatments besides immunotherapy, such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and palliative care. In addition to medical costs, there are also other expenses such as those for transportation, hotel, documentation, and organization of treatment abroad.
Who pays for immunotherapy abroad?
Immunotherapy is mainly used in developed countries that have good healthcare funding. Local citizens have medical insurance for the coverage of their financial costs.
However, not all immunotherapy treatments are covered by insurance. Some of them must be paid for out-of-pocket.
As for patients from foreign countries, they usually have to bear all the costs themselves. They go to the hospital, after which follows the estimates of the cost of medical services. The hospital then presents billing for foreign patients. Full payment in advance is required to begin the treatment process. Moreover, patients deposit a larger amount into the hospital’s bank account than is needed for the full payment for the immunotherapy. The unspent funds are then refunded to the patient’s bank account within a few weeks.
You can get healthcare services abroad cheaper by using the services of the Booking Health company. When you make an appointment at the hospital through this service, there are no additional fees for foreign patients. In addition, patients are provided with health insurance. It protects you from unexpected medical expenses, for example, if additional therapeutic procedures are required due to complications. The insurance covers all extra costs, which means that the initial price of the treatment program will definitely not increase for you. This allows you to better plan your expenses, knowing that your medical bill won’t double once treatment begins.
Where can you get financial assistance?
There are non-profit organizations that support cancer patients. You can contact them for help.
Every country has foundations and other organizations that provide funding for people in need. In Germany, for example, this is done by the German Cancer Aid. Cancer patients have a number of social benefits and can receive consultations and support in an extensive network of oncology consultation centers. In the United States, services are available through Catholic Charities, Cancer Care, Good Days, and other organizations.
You can look for similar organizations in your home country. You may not get full funding for your medical treatment, but you will still reduce your expenses to some extent.
If you want to travel abroad for immunotherapy, you can check the prices on the Booking Health website. The leading clinics in Germany and other countries of the world are presented here. Please leave your request on the website to get advice from a medical tourism specialist. We will tell you how to save money, where to get financial support, how to pay for immunotherapy abroad, and how much treatment with this method will cost.
