A study at the University of Minnesota examining the financial burdens of medical services on cancer survivors revealed medical equipment like wheelchairs and hearing aids made up the majority of out-of-pocket costs.
The study also examined the costs of medical services including inpatient and outpatient care, prescription drugs and physical therapy.
Medical equipment is less likely to be covered by insurance than other forms of care Arjun Gupta, a professor at the University Medical School, said.
For prescription medications, insurance might cover 95% of the cost leaving the patient to pay the remaining 5%, Gupta said. The average cost-sharing rate for medical equipment is 39%, meaning patients spend more on equipment out of pocket.
Patients turn to other ways to get their equipment like Facebook Marketplace, Gupta said.
“It’s so challenging that people just say, ‘Screw it. I’m gonna buy it,’” Gupta said.
The amount of cancer survivors in the United States is increasing due to improved medical care, Gupta said. At the same time, treatments like chemotherapy can leave patients more vulnerable even after being in remission.
“We’ve seen that people are definitely living longer and longer, which is good, but they also have increased rates of functional impairment,” Gupta said.
Roughly one-fourth of cancer survivors report mobility limitations so they need to use medical equipment to get around, Gupta said.
Helen Parsons, another researcher specializing in cancer survivorship at the University Medical School, said the administrative process of getting medical equipment is tedious and a motivator for patients to seek equipment elsewhere.
“It’s not just as simple as writing a prescription,” Parsons said. “There’s additional paperwork and referrals and sending things back and forth. It’s very frustrating for these survivors.”
Getting the equipment is not as simple as getting a prescription for medicine, Parsons said. The process usually involves working with multiple people in the health care system and getting the equipment could take anywhere from a few weeks to months.
Depending on how much insurance covers or if they purchase it online, the equipment can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand if patients need specialized equipment, like a motorized scooter, Parsons said.
The cost of equipment forces patients to make difficult decisions, Parsons said.
“People need to make really challenging decisions between paying for that needed equipment and other types of living and housing expenses, which can be a really tough trade-off,” Parsons said.
Even small but necessary purchases like adult diapers contribute to the financial burden, Gupta said.
Parsons said there is a new opportunity for policy to be put in place to help cancer survivors and remove administrative burdens that deter people from getting the equipment they need.
While the administrative hurdles patients need to jump through to get equipment are difficult, healthcare providers are doing their best within the system, Parsons said.
