Feb

12

Insured cancer patients struggle to afford treatment

By Case Management Weekly

Patients with cancer undergo many expensive treatments and tests and often find themselves bankrupt even if they have insurance, according to a new report.

The report, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society followed 20 typical cancer patients. Of those patients, nine had insurance through an employer, one paid for employer coverage through COBRA, seven had individual insurance, two received coverage through a state high-risk insurance pool, and one became uninsured.

The study found that many of the patients became too sick to work, but were able to remain covered by their employer’s insurance up to 18 months by paying the full premium, although they found the added expense hard to bear. Other patients experienced delays in treatment caused by funding problems, debt, and stress about costs.

Sources: San Francisco Chronicle, Kaiser Family Foundation