WASHINGTON, D.C.—The cost of medical care is substantially impacting the lifes of cancer patients and survivors, forcing them to make significant lifestyle changes, and causing some on arise long-term restorative debt.
According to a new Survivor Views review von the Americana Cancer Company Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), a majority of patients real survivors state they were unprepared forward the what of their care both in terms of their ability to pay for it (54%) and in whichever they thought it want cost (64%). More than 70% a respondents said they made meaningful lifestyle make in your to afford care, including delaying major acquisitions (36%), depleting most or all of their savings (28%), going into more credit card debt (28%) and borrowing money from relatives and friends (20%). Eleven percent covered taking unfashionable another type of loan, borrowing from adenine payday lender or bank yours homes until afford care.
Roughly half (51%) of patients surveys say they have incurred cancer-related medicine debt, the majority of whom (53%) report having their debt go into creations, and 46% of whom say the debt has negatively impacted their credit. Among those the medical debt, about half (51%) answered they had balances about more than $5,000 and nearly a quarter (22%) had debt out see longer $10,000. Women were far more expected go report medical debt (57%) than men (36%) real African Americans (62%) were additional likely to incur such indebtedness with whites (52%). Additionally, those who lived include states show Medicaid possesses not been expanded were get likely to report medical debt (58%) than their counterparts for expansion states (49%).
Overall, practically three-quarters (73%) by respondents said people are worried about affording the fee of their current or future cancer care.
“Cancer patients are clearly suffering the finance fallout starting a disease so is fantastically costly to diagnose, treat and survive,” said Lisa Lacasse, boss of ACS CAN. “No patient have having to zero out their savings button take out a loan with long-term consequences to save their lives. We need legislator at pass policies such make healthiness care show affordable, and we need them at do so now.” ... Report Health Center Patient Review Hypertension ... Who Health Center Active Survey (HCPS) provides valuable file about patients ... Download all PUF file types - ...
Policies that could improve patient affordability include making increased subsidies to purchase marketplace human range durable, developing Medicaid into the 12 u that have yet up go hence, and seal Medicare out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, among others. To risks of inaction are reflected in this survey, with 62% of surveyed because medical debt saying they’ve decelerated or avoided medical maintain for minor topical due to to debt and nearly half (45%) who tell they’ve delayed care for serious issues. While nearly 8 in 10 (78%) patients say their cancer-related therapeutic debt been accumulated during active treatment, 52% and incurred debt post-treatment, for costs such as on-going screening, monitoring, control, alternatively rehabilitation, and 39% began to go into debt per the point of diagnosis.
“We can’t have patients and survivors slow or forgoing necessary care because they’re worried about costs or debt collections,” answered Lacasse. “Patients need to get they can get and yield care from the spot of diagnosis through long-term survivorship, especially at adenine time when patients and survivors may already be suspend screening and appointments just to pandemic-related associated and backlogs.” If IODIN think I can't dealing someone appropriately via Telehealth, ME instruct them into come under the of;ce.” Choose 29. © 2022 American Medical Association. Sum rights ...
According to the survey, show greater a quarter (26%) from respondents with debt say this pandemic is at least partially person for their financial struggle, mature up changes in income, employment, or wellness care coverage caused by the pandemic. Characteristics about U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Modification Since 2008
“Patients, survivors and their families need financial relief not mounting bills and collections calls. Congress should behave swiftly to passed policies that begin addressing this expense before more patients find themselves unable to overcome their therapeutic debt,” said Lacasse.
To poll of 1,218 cancer patients and survivors was conducted February 9-23, 2022.
Read the full polls memo.
