After Surviving Cancer, Bankruptcy Looms Large in Working-Age Individuals, Says Kaiser Study
A new study conducted by researchers at Kaiser Permanente has found that a considerable number of working-age adults who survive cancer and its toxic treatments, end up with substantial medical debts or declare bankruptcy.
A new
The collaborative study, which also included researchers at the National Cancer Institute, CDC, Emory University, and the LIVESTRONG Foundation, analyzed data on 4719 cancer survivors between the ages of 18 and 64 years. The data was part of the
For the present study published in the current issue of the journal
Additionally, the study found that younger survivors (who were probably yet to establish a career and earn a steady income), those with lower incomes, and those with public health insurance were at a greater risk of going into debt or filing for bankruptcy, compared with older, high income bracket, or privately insured survivors, respectively.
Based on their 2012 survey, LIVESTRONG released a brief documenting the following statistics:
- 30% of survivors reported that they or their family members had to borrow money or go into debt because of their cancer, its treatment, and lasting effects.
- 71% of survivors reported that they had to pay out of pocket for medications and/or medical equipment and supplies.
- 10% of survivors who applied for insurance were denied because of their diagnosis. Out of those who were insured, 17% were refused coverage for doctors’ visits with a provider or facility of their choice.
In an
The lead author of the study, Matthew Banegas, PhD, MPH, at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research,
Indeed a
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