AZ Critical Illness - more on Cancer - forgoing coverage??
Posted by Rachel Romero on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 @ 12:52 PM
I just read a very disturbing article about how many people are forgoing recommended continuing coverage for their cancer. Crazy enough it is predicted that 2 million Americans—roughly one in six cancer survivors—decide to forgo at least some of their recommended follow-up medical care because of the cost, according to recent research.
These people have health insurance but they still [may] have difficulties with high deductibles, copayments and other out-of-pocket costs. Her findings, published in the medical journal Cancer, come after analyzing annual government surveys of more than 30,000 households from 2003 to 2006. And those surveys were taken before the recent economic downturn and continued high unemployment. These days, even more cancer survivors are believed to be skimping on, delaying or totally avoiding medical care because of money concerns. Cancer has always been devastating to mind, body and finances. "But we're hearing more and more of these stories than we used to," says Anna McCourt, a supervisor at the National Cancer Information Center, a round-the-clock call center operated by the American Cancer Society (phone: 1-800-227-2345). "People say they must choose between getting care or meeting daily living expenses—putting food on the table and paying their mortgages and utility bills," she says. "Because of out-of-pocket costs, they're avoiding tests they know they need, they're taking half doses of medication to make it last longer. But if you freeze because you can't afford heat this winter, cancer medication isn't going to be that helpful anyway."
AZ Critical illness coverage is about $60 per month on average and can really save you from making these tough decisions on continuing care by paying a lump sum at the diagnosis of cancer. Check out the AZ Critical illness coverge page for more details or to request a quote.