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These days, more and more cancer patients are surviving and going on to live rewarding lives. However, this success comes with a price tag. According to a recent study in Health Affairs, U.S. spending on cancer increased from $47,000 per individual case to $70,000 per case (49%) from 1983 through 1999. The numbers keep going up: In 2010, the National Cancer Society estimated the annual overall U.S. cost of cancer care at $125 billion.

What do these numbers mean for you? If you get cancer, you will be paying for a vast amount of treatments, medicines, deductibles, co-pays and living expenses out-of-pocket; standard health insurance plans often do not cover the majority of cancer costs. Some of the things you may be paying for include:

•  Lab tests, image tests (X-rays, CAT scans and other procedures)
• Radiation treatments
• Chemotherapy (including expensive drugs)
• Hospital stays (including costs for doctor’s visits and nursing care)
• Surgery (with fees for anesthesiologist, pathologist, surgeon, operating fees and more)
• Home care (often including special apparatus, trained nurses and/or therapy)
• Living expenses
• Childcare
• Travel for alternative treatments
• Co-pays and deductibles from current health insurance

If you think you may be at risk for cancer, you should take out a cancer insurance policy to ensure that you have funds to pay for cancer-related expenses. Cancer insurance is payable as a lump sum benefit on first diagnosis, providing money for medical or lifestyle expenses that you might not be able to cover otherwise. CancerPlans.com offers a wide variety of cancer insurance policies from top-rated supplemental insurance carriers; get a free quote today.
 

(1) Is the High Cost of Cancer Care Really “Worth It”?  April 2012. ReformingHealth.org. August 6 2012. http://reforminghealth.org/2012/04/11/is-the-high-cost-of-cancer-care-really-worth-it/

(2) The Cost of Cancer Treatment. May 2011. The American Cancer Society. August 6 2012. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/FindingandPayingforTreatment/ManagingInsuranceIssues/the-cost-of-cancer-treatment