Medical Debt in Collections Persists After Cancer Diagnosis
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2025 -- Modest amounts of medical debt in collections persist for years after cancer diagnosis, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in JAMA Oncology.
Nishant Uppal, M.D., from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues examined longitudinal changes in adverse financial outcomes for nearly all individuals diagnosed with cancer in Massachusetts during 2010 to 2019 versus a control population from Massachusetts. Individuals with cancer were matched to controls based on baseline demographic and socioeconomic factors; the matched difference-in-differences analysis included 74,146 individuals with a cancer diagnosis and 74,146 controls.
The researchers found that at six years after diagnosis, there were increases in mean medical debt in collections of $15.45 in a matched difference-in-differences analysis. No changes were seen in mean total debt, total debt in collections, number of bankruptcies, or credit scores after diagnosis. Patients with colorectal cancer experienced an increase in mean total debt in collections of $155.55 and those with bladder cancer experienced an increase in mean total debt in collections of $375.77 at 6.0 and 5.5 years after diagnosis, respectively.
"These results demonstrate the importance of considering financial factors at the time of cancer diagnosis and highlight the need for financial assistance programs that prevent medical debt, which has been associated with diminished access to care and is a focus of public and private debt forgiveness programs," the author write.
One author received support from BrightEdge.
Abstract/Full Text (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 September 2025
Read this next
Cancer Survivors More Likely to Take Rx for Mental Health Conditions
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2025 -- U.S. cancer survivors are significantly more likely to take medications for depression and anxiety compared with noncancer survivors, according to a...
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use Linked to Reduced Overall Risk for Cancer in Adults With Obesity
TUESDAY, Aug. 26, 2025 -- For adults with obesity, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use is associated with a reduced overall risk for cancer, including lower...
Discordance Seen Between Care Goals, Treatment Intent in Advanced Cancer
MONDAY, Aug. 25, 2025 -- More patients with advanced cancer report that their treatment discordantly focuses on longevity over comfort than patients with other illnesses...
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.