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The Financial Burden of Cancer on Families in the United States

Author

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  • Patrick Richard

    (Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA)

  • Nilam Patel

    (The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA)

  • Yuan-Chiao Lu

    (The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA)

  • Regine Walker

    (The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA)

  • Mustafa Younis

    (Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA)

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between a diagnosis of cancer and the likelihood of having any out-of-pocket costs (OOPC) and medical debt, and the amounts of OOPC and medical debt, at the household level. We used the 2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a continuous, representative panel survey that collects demographic, economic, and social data in the United States. The analytic sample included head of households and their spouse (if married), 18–64 years old. Two-part models were used. The first part consisted of logistic regression models and the second part consisted of generalized linear models with logarithmic link and a gamma distribution. Logistic regression results showed odds of 2.13 (CI: 1.27, 3.57, p < 0.01) for any OOPC and odds of 1.55 (CI: 0.93, 2.58, p < 0.1) for any medical debt for households in which either the head or spouse (if married) reported a diagnosis of cancer compared to those that did not report a diagnosis of cancer. Likewise, results from the second part of the model for households with a positive amount of OOPC showed an exponentiated coefficient of 1.73 (CI: 1.33, 2.25, p < 0.01) for households in which either the head or spouse (if married) reported a diagnosis of cancer compared to households without a diagnosis of cancer. This study shows that a diagnosis of cancer places a financial burden on families, particularly with all types of debt, in the United States even after controlling for differences between households with a diagnosis of cancer and those without a diagnosis of cancer.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Richard & Nilam Patel & Yuan-Chiao Lu & Regine Walker & Mustafa Younis, 2021. "The Financial Burden of Cancer on Families in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:7:p:3790-:d:530435
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Patrick Richard & Regine Walker & Pierre Alexandre, 2018. "The burden of out of pocket costs and medical debt faced by households with chronic health conditions in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, June.
    6. Amy Finkelstein & Sarah Taubman & Bill Wright & Mira Bernstein & Jonathan Gruber & Joseph P. Newhouse & Heidi Allen & Katherine Baicker, 2012. "The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment: Evidence from the First Year," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(3), pages 1057-1106.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gyeongseon Shin & Hye-Young Kwon & SeungJin Bae, 2022. "For Whom the Price Escalates: High Price and Uncertain Value of Cancer Drugs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-4, April.

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