Out-of-Pocket Costs for Some Cancer Patients Top $700 Monthly

The Wall Street Journal

The cost of cancer treatment is high and, according to the National Cancer Institute, growing. And at the individual level, the financial burden can be very heavy, even for patients with insurance. A new study from Duke University Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute covers 216 cancer patients, mostly older females with breast cancer. It found their self-reported, out-of-pocket, cancer-related costs averaged $712 a month. Some 30% of respondents said their expenses were a “significant burden” and 11% called them a “catastrophic problem.” All but one of those surveyed had insurance, mostly Medicare, and 83% had prescription-drug coverage... Read More