How to Tell Your Doctor — You Cannot Afford Treatment

No. Raising the cost question is a routine part of cancer care, and your oncologist has heard it many times. It will not mark your file or change the clinical decision about what treatment you receive. What it does is open the door to the counsellor, who works on the financial side while your clinical team focuses on treatment. The risk of not saying it is that you quietly reduce doses, skip cycles, or stop altogether — and that is what causes real harm.

The main national scheme is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, which covers inpatient treatment up to the package limit per family per year for eligible households. In Telangana, the state-level Aarogyasri scheme extends cover further. In Andhra Pradesh, the equivalent is the Dr. YSR Aarogyasri scheme. Central government employees and pensioners may also have CGHS, and defence personnel have ECHS. Eligibility for each depends on your household income, employment status, and the scheme's approved treatment list. Your CION counsellor will identify which ones apply to your situation.

In most cases, private insurance and a government scheme cannot both be claimed for the same event. Your counsellor will advise on how to sequence them — the scheme may cover what the insurance does not, or vice versa. Bring both your policy document and any scheme card to the counsellor meeting so the full picture is clear before you decide anything.

It depends on the scheme. PM-JAY and the Aarogyasri schemes generally require prior authorisation for planned admissions, so ideally the application is in place before the first session. In practice, your counsellor will know whether retrospective claims or ongoing coverage are possible for your specific situation. If cost became a concern only after treatment started, tell the counsellor now — leaving it longer reduces the options.

This is common with newer targeted therapies and immunotherapy, which are not always on approved scheme lists. In that situation, your counsellor will check whether the manufacturer runs a Patient Assistance Programme for that medicine. Many do, and eligibility is based on income rather than scheme membership. Your oncologist can also consider whether an alternative medicine with equivalent clinical effect is available within the scheme coverage — that is a fair question to raise directly if cost is a constraint.

Yes. If you are unwell or find it difficult to have the conversation yourself, a spouse, parent, adult child, or sibling can speak to the counsellor on your behalf. They will need to bring your identity documents alongside their own. If possible, give them a written note saying you have asked them to act for you, though this is not always required. The counsellor's role is to find the best available support for you — who brings the documents matters far less than that someone does.