Hidden Costs of — a Chemotherapy Course

Most Indian health insurance policies cover hospitalisation and sometimes the drug, but rarely cover travel, accommodation, lost wages or outpatient supportive medicines. Read your policy to find out how chemotherapy is classified — day-care treatment is sometimes covered differently from inpatient admission. Ask your insurer explicitly about chemotherapy day-care before your first cycle. Keep receipts for every treatment-related expense even if it is not reimbursed, as some costs may qualify for income tax deduction under Sections 80D or 80DDB.

PMJAY and Aarogyasri (Telangana) cover chemotherapy at empanelled hospitals under packaged rates, which typically include the drug, its administration and some cycle-linked tests. They do not cover travel, accommodation or lost wages. What is included in each package varies by cancer type and cycle number — ask the hospital's scheme desk for the exact list before paying for anything separately. Link your card at the treatment centre before your first cycle, not partway through.

There is no single figure, because it depends on your regimen, how far you live from the treatment centre, whether you have scheme coverage, and how much work you and your caregiver will miss. The most useful step is to ask your oncologist for the planned number of cycles and the interval, then use the ranges on this page to build an estimate for your situation. A hospital social worker can help fill in the gaps — patient lodge costs, transport assistance and local funds vary by centre.

If a centre closer to your home is equipped to give your specific treatment, your oncologist may be able to refer you or arrange treatment there. Ask directly — most oncologists will support this if the clinical setup is right. CION Cancer Clinics operates across 35 or more centres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, so it is worth asking whether a nearby centre can deliver the same regimen. What matters most is that the centre has the expertise and facilities your particular treatment requires.

Tell your care team immediately and do not skip the medicine without saying so. Many supportive medicines have generic equivalents at a fraction of the branded price. Government Jan Aushadhi stores stock a wide range at reduced prices. Your oncologist can tell you which generics are appropriate for your situation, and the hospital pharmacist is often a better starting point for price comparison than a retail chemist. Your team can only help if they know you are struggling — the conversation is the important first step.

Some state welfare boards — including those for construction workers, domestic workers and other unorganised labourers — provide medical assistance grants that can partly offset income lost during treatment. Ask at the hospital social work desk or the district collector's office about schemes available in your area. PMJAY eliminates direct treatment costs at empanelled hospitals, which reduces total financial pressure even though it does not replace wages. No single scheme covers all losses, but combining two or three can make the course significantly more manageable.