Over 30% of Cancer Patients Report Trouble Paying For Health Needs, Says New Study

Over half report trouble paying for non-health care needs

HAMPTON, Va., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 30% of insured patients report trouble paying for health needs, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham using data from the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF). According to the study, over half of insured respondents reported trouble paying for non-healthcare needs, a notable uptick from pre-pandemic levels and a somber reminder of how a cancer diagnosis can lead to financial toxicity.

Approximately 31% of respondents reported trouble paying for healthcare during that time period. However, this rate was highest among respondents on employer-sponsored plans, 59% of whom reported trouble paying for healthcare.

"Not only is this a story about the high cost of cancer," said Kathleen Gallagher, PAF vice president of health services, "it's also a story about how certain insurance plan benefit designs purposefully shift costs to patients in a way that may cause them to delay seeking care."

In recent years, private insurance has shifted an increasing percentage of cost-sharing onto patients. In 2020, individual silver plan ACA deductibles averaged $4,450 and 26% of individuals with employer-sponsored insurance had annual deductibles of at least $2,000.

The study also reports that over half of respondents, 57%, reported trouble paying for non-healthcare needs. Challenges paying for non-health care needs include trouble paying for food, housing, transportation and internet. Medicaid beneficiaries were the most likely to report trouble affording non-healthcare expenses.

"We already know that households that spend at least 10% of their income on healthcare costs are more likely to delay treatments," said Rebekah Angove, PhD, PAF executive vice president of research and evaluation. "When we look in particular at patients who are on a fixed income, first with the pandemic and now inflation, their financial hardships are more acute than they would have been five years ago. Providers need to be more aware of the financial difficulties that their insured patients may be experiencing and initiate conversations about how they plan to cover these costs and if they need assistance locating resources."

The study surveyed 1,437 respondents, 97% of whom were insured during the covid pandemic. Most respondents were enrolled in Medicare (48%), 22% in employer-sponsored insurance, 13% in Medicaid, 6% in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan, and 3% were uninsured.

The full study can be found here.

About Patient Advocate Foundation: PAF is a national non-profit organization that provides free case management and financial assistance to patients diagnosed with a chronic, debilitating or life-threatening condition.

Contact: Caitlin Donovan, Senior Director, Patient Advocate Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE National Patient Advocate Foundation