Cancer survivors tackle rising expenses
TL/DR –
Many cancer survivors in the US continue to struggle with medical debts, even years after their treatment has concluded. Approximately 47% of the 1,200 cancer patients and survivors surveyed in 2024 had medical debt, with nearly half owing over $5,000. The high cost of post-cancer care, including monitoring for recurrence and managing post-treatment side effects, is expected to reach $246 billion by 2030.
The Financial Battles Facing Cancer Survivors
Despite overcoming a colon cancer diagnosis in 2017, Marielle Santos McLeod is still grappling with the significant financial aftermath of her treatment. She continues to pay off bills from her chemotherapy and is facing additional out-of-pocket costs related to ongoing monitoring and follow-up care. McLeod has already spent $2,500 in the first two months of the year, and owes an additional $1,300 from a January colonoscopy. She also pays a high monthly premium of $895 for a health insurance plan that covers her family of six. As a result of these costs, she has been forced to ration her care, delaying necessary procedures and visits due to financial constraints.
The Financial Struggles of Cancer Survivors
McLeod’s experience is not unique. Of 1,200 cancer patients and survivors surveyed in 2024, about 47% reported carrying medical debt, with nearly half owing more than $5,000, according to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. However, health policy researchers and advocates argue that the experiences of these survivors highlight the limitations of proposals to lower insurance premiums, particularly for patients who accrue large medical bills over several years. One such proposal focuses on increasing the availability of high-deductible health plans, which offer lower monthly payments but require patients to cover thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs before insurance coverage begins.
The Impact of Health Policy on Cancer Survivors
The Trump administration also supported allowing insurers more flexibility to sell plans that aren’t compliant with the Affordable Care Act. These plans could potentially exclude people with pre-existing conditions, such as a cancer diagnosis, from coverage. The administration did not respond to a request for comment on how these proposals could affect cancer survivors. Supporters of these proposals argue that they would provide more flexibility and options for coverage to patients, including lower monthly fees. However, critics argue that insurance coverage is not this simple, particularly for those with pre-existing conditions. Jennifer Hoque, an associate policy principal with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, explained that before the ACA, people requiring costly care often struggled to find coverage.
The Cost of Care
Even for cancer survivors who have health insurance, the cost of care often becomes a significant burden. Many survivors continue to require prescriptions, doctor visits, and procedures to monitor their condition and manage post-treatment side effects. In addition to the costs of medical treatment, surviving cancer can also have significant impacts on personal decision-making. Erin Jones, a 31-year-old food policy researcher and Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, stated, “I don’t have the freedom to do the things I want to do as easily, because I am constantly worried about health insurance.”
The Rising Costs of Cancer Care
The cost of post-cancer care is expected to increase from $183 billion in 2015 to $246 billion by 2030. Despite advancements in the detection and treatment of cancer resulting in higher survival rates, the financial burden of treatment often overshadows these successes. As the number of cancer survivors continues to grow, expected to reach over 22 million people by 2035, addressing the financial challenges they face will continue to be an important issue. Ezekiel Emanuel, a co-director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, noted that the high cost of treatment often forces patients to delay or skip post-cancer care.
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