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Is cancer treatment expensive?

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Updated: 08/20/2012

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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

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1. You will receive only the benefit level written in the policy issued. See policy for details regarding benefits, including benefit amounts and requirements for payment, limitations, and exclusions.

* Application is subject to acceptance by the insurer. You may be ineligible for coverage if you have been diagnosed with cancer. Preexisting conditions may not be covered; a medical examination may be required; there may be a waiting period; and, Not every illness will be covered.

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News & Information

Is cancer treatment expensive?

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