With the rising cost of medical care, expensive cancer drugs have become a major factor, seriously affecting the accessibility of patients and exacerbating the inequality of medical resources. In the United States, cancer patients with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to suffer from financial hardship, which can affect treatment outcomes and quality of life. To address these issues, pharmaceutical companies have set up Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). According to the latest research presented at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO 2024), the effectiveness of PAPs in improving access to pharmaceutical companies and reducing financial stress for uninsured and vulnerable cancer patients.
Socio-economic status and the financial burden of cancer: social realities and challenges
In the United States, there are still significant differences in cancer incidence, survival, morbidity, and mortality among different population groups. People of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to suffer from the burden of cancer and other diseases than individuals of higher socioeconomic status. Financial distress is common among cancer patients. Many cancer survivors report difficulty paying their medical bills, are under heavy financial pressure, and delay or forgo medical care due to cost issues. These patients are also more likely to develop psychosocial distress. Financial hardship has been shown to negatively impact clinical outcomes for cancer patients, including reduced quality of life, increased symptom burden, reduced treatment adherence, and even shorter survival.
A new initiative to promote financial support for cancer patients: the National Cancer Research Center’s Financial Support Program
An ethnically and linguistically diverse National Cancer Research Center (NCI-designated CCC) uses the My Wellness Check (MWC) programme to identify patients who are experiencing emotional, physical, practical and social difficulties. Between October 2019 and February 2022, a total of 4,117 patients participated in the MWC survey, accounting for 43.1% of eligible patients. Among them, 801 patients (19.5%) used 976 support or actual needs alerts, but only 68.4% of the alerts were responded to by social workers within 72 hours. For patients identified by MWC as facing financial hardship, social workers identify available resources to help them pay their deductibles.
In July 2022, the National Center for Cancer Research (CCC) launched a Patient Financial Assistance Program to financially evaluate all patients receiving systemic chemotherapy at an IV center. The centre has contracted with a third-party partner (PAP Hub) to provide patient support specialists and technology integrated with electronic health records (EHRs). The Patient Support Specialist is responsible for identifying eligible patients and enrolling them in financial support programs.
The impact of financial support programs on socially vulnerable groups
A retrospective analysis was conducted for groups participating in the Patient Financial Support Program between May 2022 and December 2023 and compared with population data from IV centers. The results showed that among the groups participating in the support program, female, Hispanic, aged 27-64 years, with commercial insurance, and in areas with high to medium-high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) were higher.
Proactive patient financial support programs can help alleviate the financial distress of cancer patients, especially those living in areas with high and medium-high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Specialized collaboration with third-party partners not only reduces the financial strain on patients in the short term, but also helps drive more equitable cancer outcomes.
