Estimated U.S. Annual Cost of Initial Cancer Screening $43 Billion in 2021
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2024 -- In 2021, the estimated total health care costs for initial cancer screening were $43 billion in the United States, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Michael T. Halpern, M.D., Ph.D., from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues estimated the annual cost of initial cancer screening in the United States in 2021 using national health care survey and cost resources data.
The researchers found that in 2021, total health care costs for initial cancer screenings were estimated at $43 billion in the United States. Of the costs, about 88.3, 8.5, and 3.2 percent were attributed to private insurance; Medicare; and Medicaid, other government programs, and uninsured persons, respectively. Colorectal cancer screening represented about 64 percent of the total cost; screening colonoscopy represented more than half of the total (55 percent). Major drivers of the total estimated costs of screening were facility costs (amounts paid to the facilities where testing occurred).
"This study provides previously unavailable estimates for the annual medical care cost of cancer screening in the United States," the authors write. "Identification of these costs and the drivers for cancer screening costs are critical to help inform policy and develop programmatic priorities, particularly for enhancing access to recommended cancer screening services."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Read this next
Racialized Economic Segregation Linked to Advanced Cancer Diagnosis
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- People living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer...
New Subtype of Diabetes Identified in Sub-Saharan Africans, Black Americans
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- A new diabetes subtype has been identified in Sub-Saharan Africans and Black Americans, according to a study published online July 21 in The Lancet...
Changes in Missouri Law Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Screening Rates
THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Changes in Missouri law expanding breast cancer screening coverage have led to increased screening rates among Medicaid patients and an increased...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.