CION Ameerpet
Radiation Therapy · Cost, Insurance & Government Schemes
How to Plan Financially for a 5-Week Radiation Course — A Pre-Treatment Money Checklist
Medically reviewed by Dr. Kirti Ranjan Mohanty, Radiation Oncologist, MBBS · MD (Radiation Oncology), Senior Consultant · Last reviewed August 2026
Most families are handed one number and left to work out the rest. This page breaks a five-week course into four budget blocks — the work-up, the course itself, the cost of living near the centre, and a contingency — then lists what to settle before day one. All figures are indicative, as of August 2026.
- A four-block budget — work-up, treatment, living costs and contingency, each with an indicative range you can total for yourself.
- Every support pathway — Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat, EHS/CGHS/ESI, cashless insurance, relief funds and instalments, side by side.
- A before-day-one checklist — documents, approvals, bookings and the one family member who should own the paperwork.
- Cost without compromising care — how to bring your real number into the consultation so it informs the plan instead of quietly deciding it.
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The short answer
How do I budget for a 5-week radiation course?
Build the budget in four blocks, not one number. Block one is the pre-treatment work-up. Block two is the radiation course itself, which is technique-dependent. Block three is the cost of living near the centre for five weeks. Block four is a contingency. Confirm your scheme or insurance position first, then fund only the gap.
That last step is the one families skip. A quote is not a bill. If you are eligible under Aarogyasri or Ayushman Bharat, or you hold a policy with a cashless network, the amount you actually pay can look nothing like the number you were first quoted — and you will only know which once the paperwork is started. This page is a pre-treatment financial checklist: work through it before day one, and pair it with a written, technique-specific estimate from your own team.
Your radiotherapy is delivered at an NABH-accredited partner centre; CION Cancer Clinics coordinates your treatment plan, your oncology team and your care throughout. Our scheme desk checks eligibility and starts pre-authorisation as part of the free consultation, not as a separate step you have to arrange yourself.
Every rupee figure on this page is indicative only, as of August 2026. It is a planning worksheet, not a quote, and not a coverage guarantee under any scheme or policy.
Did you know?
The World Health Organization identifies cancer care as one of the leading causes of catastrophic health expenditure worldwide — spending large enough to force a household to sell assets or borrow. In India, ICMR and national health-policy reporting have repeatedly flagged out-of-pocket cancer costs as a driver of household financial distress. Planning the money before treatment starts, rather than during it, is one of the few parts of this you can fully control.
The worksheet
What does a 5-week radiation course actually cost, block by block?
Indicative bands only, as of August 2026, for a typical five-week course where the patient and one attendant stay near the centre in Hyderabad. Total your own row values — not the ends of the range.
| Budget block | What it covers | Indicative range, 5-week course* |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-treatment work-up | Planning CT (simulation), staging scans, blood work, and any dental or cardiac clearance your team asks for before starting | ₹15,000 – ₹60,000 |
| 2. The radiation course | Planning, roughly 20–28 daily sittings and the on-treatment reviews in between — the figure that moves most with technique | ₹1,50,000 – ₹6,00,000 |
| 2b. Supportive care during treatment | Consultations, dressings, the skin or mouth care your team prescribes, dietitian input, and any tests ordered mid-course | ₹10,000 – ₹40,000 |
| 3. Travel to and from the centre | Return travel for patient and one attendant, plus the daily commute to sittings | ₹8,000 – ₹30,000 |
| 3b. Stay near the centre | A room for patient and attendant for the weeks you are away from home | ₹20,000 – ₹60,000 |
| 3c. Food and daily living | Meals and daily essentials for two people away from home | ₹15,000 – ₹35,000 |
| 3d. Attendant's lost income | Pay a family member gives up to stay with you instead of working | ₹15,000 – ₹50,000 |
| 4. Contingency (10–15%) | A repeat scan, a break and restart, a longer stay, or an unplanned admission | ₹25,000 – ₹80,000 |
| Planning band, all four blocks | — | ₹2,58,000 – ₹9,55,000 |
*Indicative only, as of August 2026. Your own total depends on the technique your tumour board recommends, how far you travel, how many people travel with you, and what your scheme or policy offsets. Ask for a written, technique-specific estimate before planning around any figure here.
If you live in Hyderabad and can sleep at home, block 3 largely disappears and your planning band drops sharply. If you are travelling in from a district, block 3 is often the difference between a budget that holds and one that does not — see the hidden costs of radiation therapy for the full non-medical breakdown.
Before day one
What do I need to arrange before my first sitting?
Settle the money side before treatment starts, so it never competes with treatment. That means documents in one file, approvals started, stay and transport booked for the whole course, one person owning the paperwork, and a separate fund so household money is not drawn down unplanned. Work through the list below.
- The full diagnosis file, in one folder — biopsy or histopathology report, staging scans and reports, and any surgery or discharge summaries. Scheme and insurance desks all ask for the same set.
- Photo ID and address proof — for the patient and for the attendant who will be at the centre daily.
- Your scheme card and eligibility documents — ration card, Aarogyasri or Ayushman Bharat card, or the employer letter and service details for EHS, CGHS or ESI.
- Insurance policy number and TPA card — plus the policy wording itself, so waiting periods and sub-limits are known before you rely on them.
- Pre-authorisation started at least a week ahead — approvals take working days, not hours, and a delayed sanction can push your start date.
- A written estimate for your technique — not a general range. Ask for it in writing, and ask what it excludes.
- One named person who owns the paperwork — payments, approvals and receipts. Cases go wrong when three relatives each assume another is handling it.
- Stay and daily transport booked for the whole course — weekly re-booking costs more and adds stress you do not need in week three.
- Leave applications filed — for the patient and the attendant. Some employers have caregiver or medical leave that materially reduces lost income.
- A separate treatment fund — one account the family pays into, so treatment spending is visible and household spending is not quietly eaten into.
Bring the same folder to every appointment. Our team can tell you exactly which of these your specific pathway needs on 1800 202 8726.
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Settle the money before day one, not during week three
A written estimate, a scheme eligibility check and a pre-authorisation started early remove most of the financial stress families report mid-course.
Where the money can come from
What financial support exists for radiation therapy?
Several pathways exist, and most families use more than one. Government schemes sanction a defined package for eligible patients at empanelled hospitals. Government employees may be covered separately. Private policies can run cashless or by reimbursement. Relief funds and instalment plans cover what is left. None of them are automatic.
| Pathway | Who it is for | What it typically offsets | What you usually still pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aarogyasri (Telangana and AP) | Eligible ration-card households, at an empanelled network hospital | A defined treatment package tied to your specific diagnosis, sanctioned case by case | Anything above the sanctioned package ceiling, plus travel, stay and food |
| Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) | Eligible households under the national scheme, at an empanelled hospital | A defined package per the national rate list, subject to eligibility and sanction | Costs beyond the package, non-listed items, and all non-medical costs |
| EHS, CGHS and ESI | State and central government employees, pensioners and insured workers | Treatment at approved rates, usually with a referral and prior permission | Rate differences, non-approved items, and your own travel and stay |
| Private health insurance (cashless) | Policyholders where the centre is inside the insurer's network | Approved treatment cost paid directly, subject to sum insured and policy terms | Co-pay, deductions, sub-limits, and anything outside the policy wording |
| Private health insurance (reimbursement) | Policyholders treated outside the network, or where cashless is declined | The same approved costs, refunded after you have paid and filed the claim | The full amount upfront, plus whatever is deducted at settlement |
| CM's and PM's relief funds | Case-by-case applications, usually with income and treatment documentation | A one-time contribution towards treatment, decided per application | The balance, and the waiting time while the application is processed |
| Instalment or EMI plans | Families who can meet the total over time but not upfront | Nothing — it spreads the treatment portion rather than reducing it | The full amount, plus any interest or processing charges |
Package ceilings under Aarogyasri and PM-JAY are set per diagnosis and revised from time to time, so a ceiling quoted to a neighbour last year may not be yours. Ask for your own sanction figure in writing. Eligibility, empanelment and sanction are decided by the scheme, not by us, and nothing here is a coverage guarantee.
Two pages worth reading before you rely on a policy: Cashless vs Reimbursement for Radiation Treatment explains which route to ask for and when, and Why Insurance Claims for Radiation Get Rejected covers the avoidable reasons claims fail. Government employees and pensioners should start with EHS, CGHS and ESI Coverage for Radiation Therapy.
A working timeline
In what order should I do all this?
Start about four weeks before your planned first sitting. Estimate first, eligibility second, approvals third, then bookings and the fund. Doing it in that order means each step uses the paperwork the last one produced, and nothing waits on an approval you started too late.
Four weeks out — get the written estimate
Ask your radiation oncologist for a technique-specific estimate in writing, and ask explicitly what it excludes. A verbal range is not something you can plan against.
Four weeks out — check scheme eligibility
Take your ration card, ID and diagnosis file to the scheme desk. Eligibility under Aarogyasri or PM-JAY, and whether the treating centre is empanelled, both need checking before anything else is decided.
Three weeks out — start insurance pre-authorisation
If you hold a policy, file for cashless pre-authorisation now. Approvals take working days. Confirm the sum insured available this policy year, and read the sub-limits rather than assuming.
Three weeks out — total the four blocks
Fill in the worksheet above with your own numbers, subtract what the scheme or policy is expected to offset, and write down the gap. That gap, not the headline quote, is what your family needs to raise.
Two weeks out — book stay and transport for the whole course
Book accommodation near the partner centre and a daily transport arrangement for the full five weeks. Ask the centre whether it has attendant accommodation tie-ups before booking elsewhere.
Two weeks out — open the treatment fund and name the owner
One account, one named family member handling payments, approvals and receipts. File leave applications for the patient and the attendant in the same week.
One week out — confirm the sanction in writing
Get the sanction letter, approval reference or policy confirmation on paper. If it has not come through, tell the treating team now — a start date can often be adjusted, a missed approval cannot be applied backwards.
Day one — carry the folder
ID, scheme card, policy details, sanction letter and diagnosis file. Confirm at the desk whether you are being treated cashless or paying and claiming, so there is no surprise at the first bill.
If your treatment is urgent and there is no time for a four-week run-up, say so. Approvals can sometimes be expedited, and treatment should not wait on paperwork — call 1800 202 8726 and our team will work the two in parallel.
The hard question
Should cost decide which radiation technique I have?
Cost is a legitimate input, but it should be the second question, not the first. Ask which techniques are clinically appropriate for your diagnosis, and which of those your oncologist considers equivalent for you. Choose on cost only between options that are genuinely equivalent. Below is how that conversation usually goes.
Ask first
"Which options are appropriate for me?"
Get the clinical shortlist before any price is discussed. If only one technique is appropriate for your diagnosis, the cost conversation is about how to fund it, not whether to substitute it.
Ask second
"Are any of these equivalent for my case?"
Where two techniques are considered equivalent for your situation, cost, number of travel days and time away from work are fair grounds to choose between them. Ask your oncologist to say plainly which is which.
Often overlooked
Fewer sittings can change the total
Where a shorter schedule is clinically appropriate, fewer visits can reduce travel, stay and lost income at the same time. Ask whether a shorter schedule is an option for your diagnosis — it is a clinical decision, not a budget one.
Say it out loud
Bring your real number to the consultation
Teams can plan around a stated budget. They cannot plan around one you keep to yourself, and a family that quietly stops treatment mid-course is the worst outcome of the two. Saying the number early usually opens options.
Technique pricing differs for real reasons — planning time, machine time and quality checks. Why IMRT costs more than 3DCRT explains what you are paying for, and Brachytherapy Cost Compared With External Beam Radiation compares the two delivery routes where both are on the table.
Plan the budget, then start treatment
Families cope better when the numbers are settled first
Tell us your diagnosis, your home town and the scheme or policy you hold. We will build the full picture with you before you commit to anything.
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Common questions
Planning the money for radiation therapy — your questions answered
How do I budget for a 5-week radiation course?
Build the budget in four blocks rather than one number. Block one is the pre-treatment work-up: the planning scan, staging tests and any clearance your team asks for. Block two is the radiation course itself, which is technique-dependent. Block three is the cost of living near the centre for five weeks: travel, stay, food and an attendant's lost income. Block four is a 10 to 15 percent contingency for a repeat scan or a longer stay. Confirm your scheme or insurance position first, then fund only the gap that is left. Every figure on this page is indicative, as of August 2026, and is not a quote.
What is the indicative total cost of a 5-week radiation course in Hyderabad?
Indicative, as of August 2026, the pre-treatment work-up typically runs 15,000 to 60,000 rupees, the radiation course itself 1,50,000 to 6,00,000 rupees depending on technique, and supportive care during treatment 10,000 to 40,000 rupees. Living near the centre for five weeks with one attendant adds roughly 58,000 to 1,75,000 rupees across travel, stay, food and lost income, and a sensible contingency adds 25,000 to 80,000 rupees. That gives a planning band of about 2.6 lakh to 9.5 lakh rupees. It is a wide band on purpose. Ask for a written, technique-specific estimate before you plan around any figure.
What financial support exists for radiation therapy in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?
Several pathways exist, and most families end up using more than one. Aarogyasri sanctions a defined package for eligible patients at an empanelled network hospital. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY works similarly for eligible households. Government employees and pensioners may be covered through EHS, CGHS or ESI. Private health insurance can be used cashless where the centre is in your insurer's network, or by reimbursement afterwards. Chief Minister's and Prime Minister's relief funds handle case-by-case applications, and many centres offer instalment plans. None of these are automatic. Eligibility, empanelment and sanction are checked case by case, so start the paperwork before your planned start date.
What should I arrange before my first radiation sitting?
Have the money side settled before day one so it never competes with treatment. Carry photo ID and address proof for the patient and the attendant, your scheme or ration card if you are applying under one, and the full diagnosis file: biopsy report, staging scans, and any surgery or discharge summaries. Start insurance pre-authorisation at least a week ahead. Name one family member who owns the paperwork and payments so nothing falls between people. Book stay and daily transport for the whole course rather than week to week, and open a separate treatment fund so household money is not drawn down unplanned.
Should cost decide which radiation technique I have?
Cost is a legitimate part of the decision, but it should be the second question, not the first. Ask your radiation oncologist which techniques are clinically appropriate for your diagnosis and which of those are considered equivalent for you. If two options are equivalent in your case, then cost, travel days and time away from work are fair grounds to choose between them. If they are not equivalent, the cheaper option is not a saving. Bring the number you can realistically manage to the consultation. A shorter schedule, a closer partner centre or a scheme pathway often changes the total more than switching technique does.
Can I pay for radiation therapy in instalments?
Often, yes. Many centres offer instalment or EMI arrangements on the treatment portion, and some work with third-party medical finance providers. Terms, interest and eligibility vary by centre and by provider, so ask for them in writing before you commit. Spreading the treatment portion can be useful even when you can afford the total, because it frees up cash for the week-to-week costs of travel, stay and food that arrive during the course. Ask about this at the same time as you ask for your written estimate, so the whole plan is settled before day one.
All costs on this page are indicative only, as of August 2026, and reflect typical charges across NABH-accredited partner centres in Hyderabad. They are not a quote, do not constitute a coverage guarantee under any government scheme or insurance policy, and are not a substitute for a written estimate from your own oncology team. Scheme eligibility, empanelment and sanction are decided by the scheme authority.