Latest news with #UniversityofColoradoHealth
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders' bladder cancer diagnosis sounds the alarm for testing
Speculation swirled for weeks around the health of Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes head coach and famed Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, who had been notably absent from team practice. When he announced Monday that he had undergone surgery in June to remove his bladder after a cancer diagnosis, it once again became evident that cancer doesn't discriminate around wealth and status. But the serious nature of his condition highlights concerns about how Black people tend to be at a disproportionately higher health risk than other groups due to the deficiencies in care. Doctors hope Sanders' diagnosis can influence others to take preventative steps. Dr. Geoffrey Mount Varner, an emergency room physician in Maryland, noted that Black people are less likely to get bladder cancer but are more likely to die from it. 'It does impact Black people more and aggressively,' he said. In a video of Sanders, 57, filmed in May but shared by his son on Sunday, the coach spoke about how emotionally and mentally draining it was to have to write a will before his surgery. 'That's not easy at all,' he said at the time. A high-profile figure like Sanders having a cancerous tumor on his bladder is likely to prompt more people to seek screening. Five years ago, the shocking death of actor Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer at age 43 raised awareness among Black men of the importance of having a colonoscopy. Black people are at a disproportionately high risk for colon cancer diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society, and the mortality rate has increased in recent years, particularly among Black men. Just four days before Sanders' press conference, Varner, also a Black man in his 50s, completed chemotherapy for prostate cancer. 'Cancer touches 100% of people,' Varner said. What is bladder cancer surgery like? During the press conference, Dr. Janet Kukreja, the director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Health, said Sanders chose to have bladder surgery over chemotherapy because it increased his chances to continue coaching. 'It's a laparoscopic surgery,' Kukreja, who performed the surgery, said, 'where we attach a robot to the patient, and then we do all the maneuvering of the robot, and then once the bladder comes out, we also take some lymph nodes to make sure it hasn't spread — and it didn't — and then we make a new bladder for people. 'We use their own intestine so they don't have to take immunosuppression. Life after the surgery, she said, 'is a new way of life, and it is a learning curve, for sure.' Sanders, who plans to coach the Buffaloes in the upcoming season, even joked that there may need to be a 'port-a-potty on the sideline.' Dr. Philippe Spiess, a genitourinary oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, said this procedure typically lasts between five and seven hours and 'involves removing the bladder, prostate and surrounding lymph nodes in the pelvis,' since the cancer could spread beyond the bladder.' Why Black Americans should take note Sanders used the Monday press conference to urge those watching to 'get checked out,' especially when there are even the mildest of symptoms that something is off. It was sound advice, Varner said. 'One of the screen exams for bladder cancer is, for instance, just a regular urinalysis,' he said. 'It will pick up blood in the urine, which is a symptom. If you don't go to your primary care physician and have these basic screenings done, you miss it. And by the time you have obvious symptoms, you're further along the line for prostate cancer or colon cancer or breast cancer for Black women.' Varner said up to 70% of cancers are tied to food consumption, especially fast food and ultraprocessed products. 'In Black communities, there are one and a half times more fast-food restaurants,' he said. 'The reason why that matters is that fast food restaurants serve hyperprocessed foods, which leads to or increases the risk of cancer. And so right off the bat, it puts Black folks at a disadvantage.' 'It would help all people, and the Black community specifically, if some of the basic screenings were free,' Varner said. As an ER doctor, Varner said he often sees patients who have long had symptoms of a serious illness, but by the time they get to the hospital, 'they want immediate care.' But earlier screening would make the issue of care a little less invasive and daunting. Varner said prostate-specific screenings for cancer and analysis should be more broadly accessible. 'There are programs that help with the cost of some tests,' he said. 'But we have to take advantage of them and not wait until it's too late.' This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
29-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Deion Sanders' bladder cancer diagnosis sounds the alarm for testing
Speculation swirled for weeks around the health of Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes head coach and famed Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, who had been notably absent from team practice. When he announced Monday that he had undergone surgery in June to remove his bladder after a cancer diagnosis, it once again became evident that cancer doesn't discriminate around wealth and status. But the serious nature of his condition highlights concerns about how Black people tend to be at a disproportionately higher health risk than other groups due to the deficiencies in care. Doctors hope Sanders' diagnosis can influence others to take preventative steps. Geoffrey Mount Varner, an emergency room physician in Maryland, noted that Black people are less likely to get bladder cancer but are more likely to die from it. 'It does impact Black people more and aggressively,' he said. In a video of Sanders, 57, filmed in May but shared by his son on Sunday, the coach spoke about how emotionally and mentally draining it was to have to write a will before his surgery. 'That's not easy at all,' he said at the time. A high-profile figure like Sanders having a cancerous tumor on his bladder is likely to prompt more people to seek screening. Five years ago, the shocking death of actor Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer at age 43 raised awareness among Black men of the importance of having a colonoscopy. Black people are at a disproportionately high risk for colon cancer diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society, and the mortality rate has increased in recent years, particularly among Black men. Just four days before Sanders' press conference, Varner, also a Black man in his 50s, completed chemotherapy for prostate cancer. 'Cancer touches 100% of people,' Varner said. What is bladder cancer surgery like? During the press conference, Janet Kukreja, the director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Health, said Sanders chose to have bladder surgery over chemotherapy because it increased his chances to continue coaching. 'It's a laparoscopic surgery,' Kukreja, who performed the surgery, said, 'where we attach a robot to the patient, and then we do all the maneuvering of the robot, and then once the bladder comes out, we also take some lymph nodes to make sure it hasn't spread — and it didn't — and then we make a new bladder for people. 'We use their own intestine so they don't have to take immunosuppression. Life after the surgery, she said, 'is a new way of life, and it is a learning curve, for sure.' Sanders, who plans to coach the Buffaloes in the upcoming season, even joked that there may need to be a 'port-a-potty on the sideline.' Philippe Spiess, a genitourinary oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, said this procedure typically lasts between five and seven hours and 'involves removing the bladder, prostate and surrounding lymph nodes in the pelvis,' since the cancer could spread beyond the bladder.' Why Black Americans should take note Sanders used the Monday press conference to urge those watching to 'get checked out,' especially when there are even the mildest of symptoms that something is off. It was sound advice, Varner said. 'One of the screen exams for bladder cancer is, for instance, just a regular urinalysis,' he said. 'It will pick up blood in the urine, which is a symptom. If you don't go to your primary care physician and have these basic screenings done, you miss it. And by the time you have obvious symptoms, you're further along the line for prostate cancer or colon cancer or breast cancer for Black women.' Varner said up to 70% of cancers are tied to food consumption, especially fast food and ultraprocessed products. 'In Black communities, there are one and a half times more fast-food restaurants,' he said. 'The reason why that matters is that fast food restaurants serve hyperprocessed foods, which leads to or increases the risk of cancer. And so right off the bat, it puts Black folks at a disadvantage.' 'It would help all people, and the Black community specifically, if some of the basic screenings were free,' Varner said. As an ER doctor, Varner said he often sees patients who have long had symptoms of a serious illness, but by the time they get to the hospital, 'they want immediate care.' But earlier screening would make the issue of care a little less invasive and daunting. Varner said prostate-specific screenings for cancer and analysis should be more broadly accessible. 'There are programs that help with the cost of some tests,' he said. 'But we have to take advantage of them and not wait until it's too late.'
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘This was a principle thing': Colorado man fights back after emergency hospital stay results in $104K bill
Blake Pfeifer of Colorado Springs is calling on hospitals to uphold their legal requirements for transparent pricing. Pfeifer underwent emergency stomach surgery at the University of Colorado Health Memorial Hospital Central in 2022 and was surprised when bills for his week-long stay just kept coming. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) 'We literally had bills scattered all over the floor and it covered the entire office,' Dawn Pfeifer, Blake's wife, shared with NBC News. Pfeifer was originally charged $104,000 for his hospital stay, which was reduced to $58,124 as he would be paying out of pocket. However, more bills kept arriving, and Pfeifer's attempts to contact the hospital for clarity on the charges reportedly went nowhere. 'I've always paid my bills,' Pfeifer, 63, told NBC News. 'I wanted a little better explanation.' Unfortunately, patient advocate groups say that Pfeifer's experience is quite common. 'Hospitals and insurance companies alike have even hired many middle-player firms to be able to maximize their margins and profits at every single patient encounter,' Cynthia Fisher, founder of told NBC News. 'Sometimes what we're finding is the charges like Blake's that are billed are far beyond even the highest rate that they have within their hospital pricing file.' Fisher told NBC News that hospital billing systems seem to be 'intentionally complex.' NBC noted that under Colorado law, hospitals that violate the federal price transparency rule — which went into effect in 2021 — are liable to be penalized for deceptive trade practices. The law requires hospitals to clearly state pricing on their respective websites. However, NBC News found that a number of Pfeifer's bills are higher than the hospital's listed prices, including $99 for a blood culture that was listed between $8 and $61 for insured patients, and $104 apiece for a series of 10 blood tests that should cost anywhere between $6.52 and $52.89 per test, based on the hospital's website. In fact, NBC News found that only 25% of the charges Pfeifer received were listed on the hospital's required price list. 'What happened to Mr. Pfeifer unfortunately repeats itself and plays out across the country thousands of times every year,' said Steve Woodrow, Pfeifer's lawyer and a Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives. 'We now have a situation where people are afraid to get medical care because of the financial ramifications.' Dan Weaver, a spokesman for UCHealth, said in a statement shared with NBC News that the health system 'does everything possible to share prices and estimates with our patients, encourage insurance coverage, assist patients in applying for Medicaid and other programs that may offer coverage.' Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it NBC found that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had penalized only 27 hospitals for non-compliance with transparent billing practices in the last four years since the law took effect. However, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found in 2024 that only 63 out of 100 hospitals studied were up-to-date with price transparency requirements. Furthermore, a study from The Commonwealth Fund found that over 45% of working-age adults in the U.S. who had insurance were charged for a health service that they thought was covered by their insurer. NBC also interviewed Damon Carson, a small-business owner in Colorado who was sued by a collection company after he refused to pay the additional bills that started rolling in after his outpatient endoscopy at a UCHealth hospital. Carson was originally quoted $1,448 for the procedure and paid upfront, out of pocket, but was later charged an additional $4,742. In mediation, his additional bills were reduced by one-third to settle the case. 'I was surprised they caved that fast,' Carson told NBC News. '[My wife] and I could easily have paid the $4,000 and our lives gone on. But this was a principle thing.' The American Journal of Managed Care reported on 'pervasive billing errors' and 'aggressive tactics' in the health care and insurance industries in 2024. Dr. Jeffrey Sippel, associate director of inpatient clinical services and associate professor of clinical medicine in the Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine Division at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said he's been overwhelmed with denied insurance claims from Medicare Advantage plans. 'It's driven by money,' said Sippel in an article on The American Journal of Managed Care's website. 'It's driven by a lack of appreciation of how dynamic these patients are, and how quickly they can change from sort of stable to doing quite poorly.' These overbilling practices are all the more troubling considering how much the federal government spends on health care in the United States. Data from the World Health Organization shows the U.S. government spends approximately double what other G7 nations spend on health care per citizen. In 2021, the U.S. spent $12,000 per person on health care while the average spend for other G7 countries was between $4,400 and $7,600. Canada, for example, reportedly spent $6,600 per person on health care, while the U.K. was at $6,200 per citizen. So, what can you do if you find yourself with additional bills piling up after a hospital stay? In Colorado, patients can sue a hospital for instigating debt collection proceedings against them if they believe the hospital violated price transparency laws. If you find yourself in a dispute over a hospital bill, advocate for yourself and insist on a clear explanation of your charges. In fact, Fisher has some strategic advice for anyone facing charges after a stay in the hospital. 'No one should ever pay that first bill,' she told NBC News. 'The onus of proof needs to be on the hospital and the insurance company to prove that they have not overcharged us.' The CMS also advises patients to shop around for their health care and compare prices and price transparency practices between hospitals to avoid higher-than-necessary bills. Finally, it's best to keep your primary care physician involved in the process, as they may be able to help advocate for you and offer additional information on finding accessible health care. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
