Impact of financial costs of cancer on patients - the Australian experience

Although healthcare in Australia is largely publicly funded, there are out-of-pocket costs associated with diagnosis, treatment and survival, even in the public system. In Australia, people with cancer report relatively high out-of-pocket health costs and a heavy burden of out-of-pocket costs relative to income. These costs include travel, hospital stays, specialist fees, parking, treatment prescriptions and over-the-counter medications for supportive care. The financial impacts of the disease extend to reduced or lost employment, early retirement and reduced incomes. The financial costs of cancer in Australia are also unequally distributed in that some cancer types are more costly to the individual. Those living in rural and remote areas also face greater out-of-pocket costs, as do those who use the private health system. Cancer-related costs are not restricted to those experiencing a diagnosis of cancer, but also extend to carers and families and can be enduring. While reducing costs is an important long-term goal, ameliorating financial impacts is also important in the short term. The heavy burden associated with cancer may be reduced if the expected costs of treatment and the availability of assistance become part of treatment conversations and processes.