The Costs of Cancer

Hispanic/Latino people facing cancer and survivors experience high costs, and are more likely than White counterparts to be uninsured and experience serious financial hardship.

People facing cancer and survivors who don’t have health insurance have high health care costs, poor access to care, poor cancer outcomes and experience a great amount of financial hardship.

People facing cancer and survivors with limited incomes experience higher health care costs and significantly more financial hardship compared to individuals who have not been diagnosed with cancer.

People facing cancer and survivors who live in rural communities are more likely to have limited incomes and to die from cancer than their urban counterparts. They also experience serious financial hardship.

To examine the costs of cancer in these specific communities, researchers conducted multiple original analyses of national datasets.

This 2020 report examines the factors contributing to the cost of cancer care and illustrates what several typical cancer patients pay with various types of insurance coverage. The report makes policy recommendations for reducing the costs of cancer on patients, survivors and their families.