Financial Problems Lower Many Cancer Survivors’ Quality of Life

By Stacy SimonRESOURCES: Understanding Health InsuranceSurvivorship: During and After TreatmentQuestions? Call us at 1-800-227-2345. Almost one-third of cancer survivors experience financial hardships as a result of their diagnosis and/or treatment, according to a new study by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University. What’s more, these hardships can have long-lasting physical and mental side effects.According to background information in the study, estimated out-of-pocket expenses for people with cancer average from $1,730 to $4,727 per year depending on insurance coverage. Survivors who have trouble paying these costs are more likely to skip or delay medical care including mental-health care, and avoid filling prescriptions. This can put their physical and mental health at risk and increase their risk of cancer coming back.The study was published early online March 14, 2016 in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.Researchers looked at the records of 19.6 million cancer survivors from the 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which collects information about how Americans use and pay for health services. Researchers classified survivors as having a financial problem if they reported borrowing money, declaring bankruptcy, worrying about paying medical bills, being unable to pay for medical visits, or making financial sacrifices.They found that 28.7% of survivors reported at least one financial problem resulting from cance...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Coping with Cancer Source Type: news