Fixing prescription drug coverage and reducing the financial burden of cancer

TheoryLab

“More than 50% of cancer survivors report problems paying medical bills, financial distress, or delaying and/or forgoing medical care in the past year.”* The financial burden of cancer can affect survivors for years. And it can affect anyone: a cancer diagnosis as a young adult can have financial ramifications that can change the course of a person’s life; a diagnosis for someone who’s retired and on a fixed income can pose problems that nobody should have to face. The cost of cancer treatment also deepens disparities—not everyone can afford the most effective treatments. Stacie Dusetzina, PhD, and Robin Yabroff, PhD, are two of the leading voices on research on the financial burden of cancer. They joined the podcast to discuss prescription drug coverage in America, problems that cause financial challenges for people with and without insurance, and potential policy solutions. Stacie Dusetzina, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and an Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University. Robin Yabroff, PhD, is the Scientific Vice President of Health Services Research in the Surveillance and Health Equity Science team at the American Cancer Society. *Yabroff, K.R., Zhao, J., Han, X. et al. Prevalence and Correlates of Medical Financial Hardship in the USA. J GEN INTERN MED 34, 1494–1502 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05002-w 2:12 – Pain points in prescription drug coverage for Americans – for infusion therapies… 7:39 – …and for orally administered therapies 12:24 – Why it can be hard to predict financial toxicity 13:48 – An example that hits close to home – a metastatic breast cancer patient with Medicare Advantage 17:33 – The financial implications of being diagnosed with cancer when young…of paying for cancer therapies when retired and on a fixed income…and of dealing with the costs of chronic illness 22:42 – Solutions! “The most obvious one to me is fixing the Medicare Part D policy to limit total out-of-pocket spending…” https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2027580 25:34 – Ways to reduce the burden of high deductible plans 27:54 – “Despite how dire the situation you describe is, it’s actually worse.” How new advances in treatment will worsen cancer disparities unless we take action 29:30 – Evidence showing that Medicaid expansion helps, but “making care affordable is going to take a lot more than Medicaid expansion” 31:11 – “We’ve got to stop paying for the stuff that doesn’t work if we want to have better coverage for the stuff that does work.” 37:04 – Why cancer prevention strategies are key 39:00 – Advice for newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families for dealing with the financial cost of cancer