Out-of-Pocket Costs, Financial Distress, and Underinsurance in Cancer Care

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
² Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
³ Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
⁴ Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, North Carolina.
⁵ Duke Cancer Network, Durham, North Carolina.

Fumiko Chino et al. JAMA Oncol. 2017.

. 2017 Nov 1;3(11):1582-1584.

doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.2148.

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
² Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
³ Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
⁴ Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, North Carolina.
⁵ Duke Cancer Network, Durham, North Carolina.

Abstract

This cross-sectional survey study examines financial distress and cost expectations among patients with cancer presenting for anticancer therapy.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

1. Ubel PA, Abernethy AP, Zafar SY. Full disclosure—out-of-pocket costs as side effects. N Engl J Med. 2013;369(16):1484-1486. - PubMed
1. Zafar SY, Peppercorn JM, Schrag D, et al. . The financial toxicity of cancer treatment: a pilot study assessing out-of-pocket expenses and the insured cancer patient’s experience. Oncologist. 2013;18(4):381-390. - PMC - PubMed
1. Fenn KM, Evans SB, McCorkle R, et al. . Impact of financial burden of cancer on survivors’ quality of life. J Oncol Pract. 2014;10(5):332-338. - PubMed
1. Ramsey SD, Bansal A, Fedorenko CR, et al. . Financial insolvency as a risk factor for early mortality among patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(9):980-986. - PMC - PubMed
1. The Commonwealth Fund. Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2003-2016. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/interactives-and-data/surveys/biennial-h.... Accessed April 19, 2017.