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A new study now shows that cancer survivors bear a heavier burden of medical debt payments and bills than individuals without a history of cancer. The greatest difficulties are found among the youngest survivors.
The research, published in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, also revealed that among insured private survivors, those who enjoyed a high-deductible health care plan and who did not have a health savings account were particularly exposed to financial difficulties in health. .
Medical financial difficulties can include three areas: equipment (for example, medical bill payment problems); psychological (for example, worrying about paying medical bills); and behavioral (which may include giving up or delaying care due to costs). Zhiyuan Zheng, PhD, of the American Cancer Society, and his colleagues badyzed information from the National Health Interview Survey conducted from 2013 to 2016.
The study included nationally representative samples of 10,354 cancer survivors and 124,436 people with no history of cancer. Compared with those with no history of cancer, cancer survivors were more likely to report hardship (age 18-49: 43.4% vs. 30.1%, age 50). at age 64: 32.8% versus 27.8%; 65 and older: 17.3% versus 14.7%), psychological difficulties (aged 18 to 49: 53.5% versus 47.1%, with similar rates for older age groups) and difficulties behavior (from 18 to 49: 30.6% against 21.8% and 50 to 64 years: 27.2% against 23.4%, with similar rates for those aged 65 and over).
Among private insured survivors, having a high deductible health plan without a health savings account was also badociated with greater difficulties than that of a low deductible insurance.
About the study, Dr. Zheng said: "The identification of patients with medical financial difficulties will be important for primary care and oncology care providers." He went on to say: "Developing and evaluating interventions to minimize medical financial hardship will be important to the research community, and health policymakers may also need to pay attention." According to Dr. Zheng, young cancer survivors, aged 18 to 49, are experiencing greater financial difficulties than their older counterparts.
He said: "It may be that they do not have the opportunity to accumulate financial badets to pay for their medical expenses. In addition, a cancer diagnosis could interrupt employment and, as a result, limit access to employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. "" We have not been able to identify the underlying reasons for greater intensity of deprivation among the youngest in this study, but we think it will be a problem. " an important area for further research, "he concluded.
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First published: January 22, 2019 10:45 AM IST
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