scholarly journals Bridging the Funding Gap for Oncology Services in LMIC: The BWS Cancer Patient Treatment Intervention Fund Project

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 184s-184s
Author(s):  
A. Nnamani ◽  
N. Iloanusi ◽  
C. Okwuosa ◽  
A. Lasebikan ◽  
I. Okoye
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patient ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Treatment Intervention ◽  
The Government

Amount raised: #1,627,000 (Nigerian Naira) Background and context: With a large population and very limited resources, the economic burden of cancer in our country is enormous and cannot be tackled solely by the government. A high mortality rate among newly diagnosed patients is a direct result of poverty and lack of an effective health insurance coverage for cancer, among other reasons. Breast cancer accounts for two out of five women cancers, with a 70% mortality. Aim: To alleviate the financial burden of cancer treatment on indigent patients. Strategy/Tactics: We constituted the Cancer Patient Treatment Intervention Fund (CPTIF) board of partners and funders. We also inaugurated a fundraising event, the annual Go Pink Day Ball, and instituted crowd-funding schemes. Program process: Indigent patients diagnosed at BWS and designated health facilities are referred to CPTIF for financial support. The patient is reviewed for eligibility by the medical board. If approved by the CPTIF Board of Directors, the required funds are paid directly to the designated tertiary health facility where patient will be receiving the oncology services. Costs and returns: Between December 2017 and March 2018 a total of #1,627,000 (Nigerian Naira) was raised, a total of #750,950 has been spent on 7 patients at different levels of oncology services. The cost covered included laboratory tests, ultrasounds, biopsies chemotherapy and radiotherapy. What was learned: Financial assistance gave these patients a lifeline and zeal to go through the usually overwhelming cancer treatment process.

scholarly journals Health insurance policies for magnetic resonance imaging tests in Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-176
Author(s):  
Dong Ah Shin
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Coverage Rate ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
The Government

On August 9, 2017, the government announced a policy to strengthen health insurance coverage. The main goal is to increase the health insurance coverage rate and lower the national medical expense burden by an average of 18% by 2022. This policy was proposed without consulting doctors, a major medical care provider, and raised the impression of populism. It is a concern that this policy may place an additional financial burden on the medical clinics, which are already suffering due to poor financial circumstances. Although the policy is already in progress, it is necessary to carefully review whether the government and the medical community can afford it in terms of the national healthcare financial burden and the implementation possibility of this policy. There is no disagreement on the efficient supply of qualified medical care. However, it must be a sustainable system in Korea. Simply increasing the coverage rate does not increase the quality of healthcare. This study aims to analyze the government's health insurance policy for magnetic resonance imaging tests and suggest proper countermeasures.

Autism and Families' Financial Burden: The Association With Health Insurance Coverage

2015 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L. Parish ◽  
Kathleen C. Thomas ◽  
Christianna S. Williams ◽  
Morgan K. Crossman
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Outpatient Services ◽  
Raising Children

Abstract We examined the relationship between family financial burden and children's health insurance coverage in families (n  =  316) raising children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), using pooled 2000–2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Measures of family financial burden included any out-of-pocket spending in the previous year, and spending as a percentage of families' income. Families spent an average of $9.70 per $1,000 of income on their child's health care costs. Families raising children with private insurance were more than 5 times as likely to have any out-of-pocket spending compared to publicly insured children. The most common out-of-pocket expenditure types were medications, outpatient services, and dental care. This study provides evidence of the relative inadequacy of private insurance in meeting the needs of children with ASD.

scholarly journals Challenges with Pain Treatment for Rural Older Adults: Family Caregivers' Views

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 893-894
Author(s):  
Hyunjin Noh ◽  
Cho Rong Won ◽  
Zainab Suntai
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Rural Older Adults

Abstract Family caregivers face various challenges in assisting older adults experiencing pain and difficult symptoms. Living in rural areas poses additional obstacles to their caregiving. The purpose of this study was to explore family caregivers’ lived experiences in caring for older adults with pain and discomfort in rural communities. A qualitative research design was adopted to capture the common essence of participants’ experiences through a phenomenological method. Purposeful sampling was used, and the participant criteria was: age 18+, have good thinking skills, resident of Alabama, provide unpaid assistance to a family/relative who has chronic/serious health conditions and experienced pain/discomfort in the last 3 months. Ten participants were recruited from rural counties of Alabama. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted via phone and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive, thematic analysis of the data revealed themes in five categories: 1) impact of pain (physical and psychological/emotional toll), 2) coping strategies (faith/contentment with life/logistical adaptation), 3) impact of Covid-19 (physical health/social interaction/mental health/added caregiving), 4) challenges in pain treatment (transportation (time/distance/driver/cost) and non-transportation related problems (healthcare provider issues/health insurance/financial burden)), and 5) suggestions (transportation-related (more transportation options/tailored services) and non-transportation-related support (home-based services/better health insurance coverage)). Findings of this study highlight rural family caregivers’ unique experiences in assisting older adults’ access to pain treatment, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Policy- and program-level intervention is called for to increase individualized transportation options, improve health insurance coverage, and expand financial support for rural older adults experiencing pain and their caregivers.

Financial burden at end of life: Findings from interviews with caregivers of patients with cancer.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 14-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara L. McDermott ◽  
Ruth Engelberg ◽  
Scott David Ramsey ◽  
J. Randall Curtis ◽  
Cossette Woo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Supplemental Insurance ◽  
The Impact

14 Background: Studies have described financial burden during and after cancer treatment, but little data are available on financial burden to patients and caregivers at end of life. We conducted a qualitative study with bereaved caregivers and discussed the impact of cancer-associated medical and nonmedical costs on family finances. Methods: From October-December 2017, we audio-recorded semi-structured phone interviews with 35 adults who were primary caregivers for a family member who died with cancer (July-December 2016). We asked about ability to meet costs of care. Drawing from previous studies, we defined substantial financial burden as incurring debt, selling assets or draining savings to meet health care costs. Two analysts coded transcripts using qualitative content analysis and summarized results as major themes. Results: Patients ranged from 30-88 years old, caregivers 34-85. Most caregivers were white (91%), female (63%) and spouses (89%). Ten patients (29%) were insured commercially, 24 (69%) had Medicare, and one (2%) had Medicaid. Ten caregivers (29%) reported substantial financial burden, irrespective of patients’ insurance coverage. Issues associated with substantial financial burden were: 1) insurance hurdles: “my husband’s dying and…I have to run interference with insurance companies, which is frustrating;” 2) limited financial resources: “It is hard when…you really don't have a lot of savings because…you never really made a lot of money” and 3) financial burden that continues after the patient’s death : “I went broke, basically, looking after my parents.” “We lost two incomes and we had to live on our savings.” Three other caregivers noted their family did not experience financial burden because they switched health insurance plans or had a supplemental insurance plan. Conclusions: In this pilot study of caregivers of advanced cancer patients, a substantial portion of commercially insured patients and Medicare enrollees with limited savings and income reported financial burden associated with cancer treatment and end-of-life care that persisted after the patient’s death. Future research is needed to determine best ways to mitigate financial burden among patients and their survivors.

scholarly journals Financial burden experienced by patients undergoing treatment for malignant gliomas

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Kumthekar ◽  
Becky V. Stell ◽  
Daniel I. Jacobs ◽  
Irene B. Helenowski ◽  
Alfred W. Rademaker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Support ◽  
Tumor Recurrence ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Malignant Gliomas ◽  
Indirect Costs ◽  
Medical Costs ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Preferred Provider Organizations ◽  
Hospital Bill

Abstract Background Patients undergoing treatment for malignant gliomas (MGs) can encounter medical costs beyond what their insurance covers. The magnitude and type of costs experienced by patients are unknown. The purpose of this study was to have patients or their families report on the medical costs incurred during the patients MG treatment. Methods Patients with MG were eligible if they were within 6 months of diagnosis or tumor recurrence. Patients had to be ≥18 years of age, fluent in English, and not aphasic. Weekly logbooks were issued to patients for recording associated costs for ∼6 months or until tumor progression. “Out-of-pocket” (OOP) costs included medical and nonmedical expenses that were not reimbursed by insurance. Direct medical costs included hospital and physician bills. Direct nonmedical costs included transportation, parking, and other related items. Indirect medical costs included lost wages. Costs were analyzed to provide mean and medians with range of expenses. Results Forty-three patients provided cost data for a median of 12 weeks. There were 25 men and 18 women with a median age of 57 years (range, 24y–73y); 79% were married, and 49% reported annual income >$75 000. Health insurance coverage was preferred provider organizations for 58% of patients, and median deductible was $1 500. Median monthly OOP cost was $1 342 (mean, $2 451; range, $333.41–$17 267.16). The highest OOP median costs were medication copayments ($710; range, $0–13 611.20), transportation ($327; range, $0–$1 927), and hospital bill copayments ($403; range, $0–$4 000). Median lost wages were $7 500, and median lost days of work were 12.8. Conclusions OOP costs for MG patients can be significant and comprise direct and indirect costs across several areas. Informing patients about expected costs could limit additional duress and allow financial support systems to be implemented.

scholarly journals Health Insurance Support on Maternal Health Care: Evidence from Survey Data in India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imtiyaz Ali ◽  
Saddaf Naaz Akhtar ◽  
Bal Govind Chauhan ◽  
Manzoor Ahmad Malik ◽  
Kapil Dev Singh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Maternal Health Care ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
The Government

AbstractMaternal healthcare financing is key to the smooth functioning of maternal health systems in a country. In India, maternal healthcare persists as a significant public health issue. Adequate health insurance could transform the utilization of maternal health care services to prevent maternal consequences. This paper aims to examine the health insurance policies that cover maternal health and their performance in India. The unit-level social consumption data on health by the National Sample Survey Organizations (NSSO), conducted in India (2017-18), is used. Bi-variate analysis, logistic regression, and propensity scoring matching (PSM) are used to evaluate the coverage of health insurance coverage on women’s maternal health care utilization. Our findings suggest that spending on health insurance can benefit pregnant women, especially among the poor, without financial stress. The study has also minimized the financial burden and prevent high-risk pregnancy-related complications and consequences. Also, there is a need for proactive and inclusive policy development by the Government of India to promote more health insurance schemes in the public and private sectors. This can bring down the risk of maternal mortality and also boost the Indian economy in terms of a better quality of life in the long run, and the way towards more just and more egalitarian societies.HighlightsAround 14.1% of Indian women are covered with health insurance schemes.Muslim women have the lowest health insurance coverage in India.Women covered with health insurance schemes has showed significant contributor to the better utilization of full ANC and institutional delivery compared to uncovered women in India.A proactive and inclusive policy development is needed by the Government of India to promote more for health insurance schemes better quality of life in the long run.

scholarly journals OUT OF POCKETS SPENDING AMONG BREAST CANCER WOMEN RECEIVING OUT-PATIENT TREATMENT IN A TERTIARY TEACHING HOSPITAL IN KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-249
Author(s):  
Jamilah Yusoff ◽  
Aniza Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Adjuvant Therapy ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Breast Cancer Treatment ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Cost Calculation ◽  
Cost Component ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tertiary Teaching

There is lack of information about the estimates of out-of-pocket (OOP) spending among women diagnosed with breast cancer and effects on their family’s financial situation in Malaysia. This study is to determine estimates of out-of-pocket spending among women with breast cancer in HCTM and identify factors that significantly associated with high OOP spending. This cross-sectional study assessed out of pockets spending among breast cancer women in HCTM for breast cancer as out-patient. Sampling unit is a woman who has been diagnosed breast cancer and receiving treatment and follows up in HCTM. A 189 breast cancer women were identified for a 6 months period between July to December 2017. Only those patients who received at least 6 months treatment in HCTM were recruited. Out of pocket spending for treatments for adjuvant therapy and follow up, consultations with other practitioners, care taker fee, equipment and traditional/complementary treatment were collected by face-to-face interview using structured questionnaires. The dependent variable was OOP, analyzed using SSPS v23 for descriptive analysis and both univariate and multivariate analysis.173 out of 186 women were recruited and only 172 were considered for cost calculation (participation rate, 93.0 %) in this study. Total out of pocket spending for breast cancer treatment in 2017 was RM 1,037,446.23 with women’s total means out of pocket spending was RM6031.66 (SD =/- 495.58). The highest percentage of cost component contributed by cost of adjuvant therapy, RM334,056.00 (30.2%) followed by traditional/complementary medicine, RM268,278.00 (24.3%), other expenses/private hospital, RM224,887.00 (20.4%), transportation RM 79,772.52 (7.2%), chemotherapy RM67,300.00 (6.1%), dressing RM54,850.00 (5.0%), equipment/prosthesis RM50,550.00 (4.6%) and care taker cost RM24,661.43 (2.2%). Out of pockets costs from breast cancer in HCTM for 2017 are a burden for women and their family. Financial support provides assistance to the out-of-pocket spending in breast cancer treatment and is able to reduce the financial burden among patients and families.  

scholarly journals The impact of the policy of expanding coverage for 4 major diseases on out-of-pocket payments

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
G R Lee ◽  
J H Lee
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
National Health ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Out Of Pocket Payments ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In South Korea, Cancers, cardiac disease, cerebrovascular diseases and rare incurable disease cause high medical expenses which are putting a heavy burden on the household economy. They are called '4 Major Severe Diseases'. The government has established the plan of Expanding Coverage for Four Major Severe Diseases. The Policy of Expanding Coverage for the 4 Major Severe Diseases is to apply the necessary medical services including coverage for uncovered services to national health insurance payments in stages. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the policy implemented from 2013 to 2015 by comparing the changes in the out-of-pocket payments before and after the policy. Using the data from the Korea Health Panel(2012, 2016), the policy effect was evaluated by the Difference-In-Difference analysis. A total of 4,686 patients (2,343 in 2012 and 2,343 in 2016) were included, who are enrolled in National Health Insurance, and have at least one chronic disease. People who are under 20 years old were excluded. In addition, severity of disease was adjusted by CCI(Charson's comorbidity index). Compared to before the policy was implemented, the Out-of-pocket payments significantly decreased. In addition, there were significant differences in gender, types of health care system, disabled, economic activity, income level, and CCI. According to previous studies, the policy of Expanding health insurance coverage since 2005 has been criticized for its low effectiveness. However, It is revealed that the Policy of Expanding Coverage for 4 Major Severe Diseases has an effect in this study. Given that the policy needs time to work, this study showed the effect of the policy more comprehensively compared to previous studies evaluating the effectiveness for just one year. Key messages Due to the Policy of Expanding Coverage for 4 Major Severe Diseases, the out-of-pocket health expenditure were reduced in the policy group. Given that the policy needs time to work, this study has shown more comprehensive results than previous studies that evaluated the effect of policy carried out over a short period.

scholarly journals How government health insurance coverage of novel anti-cancer medicines benefited patients in China – a retrospective analysis of hospital clinical data

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Diao ◽  
Mengbo Lin ◽  
Kai Xu ◽  
Ji Huang ◽  
Xiongwei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Government Health ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
The Government ◽  
Medication Choice

Abstract Background China started to cover novel medicines for the treatment of major cancers, such as trastuzumab for breast cancer by the government health insurance programs since 2016. Limited data have been published on the use of cancer medications and little is known about how government health insurance coverage of novel anti-cancer medicines benefited patients in the real world. This study aimed to generate evidence to inform the health security authorities to optimize the government health insurance coverage of novel anti-cancer medicines as a more inclusive and equal policy, through which each of the needed patient can get access to the novel anti-cancer medicines regardless of the ability to pay. Methods The study targeted one of the government health insurance newly covered novel medicines for breast cancer and the breast cancer patients. The analyses were based on the data collected from one tertiary public hospital in Fujian province of China. We conducted interrupted time series analysis with a segmented regression model and multivariate analyses with a binary logistic regression model to analyze the impact of the government health insurance coverage on medicines utilization and the determinants of patient’s medication choice. Results The average proportion of patients who initiated medication with novel medicines increased from 37.4% before the government health insurance coverage to 69.2% afterwards. Such an increase was observed in all patient sub-groups. The monthly proportion of patients who initiated medication with novel medicines increased sharply by 18.3 % (95 %CI,10.4-34.0 %, p = 0.01) in September 2017, the afterwards trend continuously increased (95 %CI,1.03–3.60, p = 0.02). The critical determinants of patient's medication choice were mostly connected with the patient's health insurance benefits packages. Conclusions The government health insurance coverage of novel anti-breast-cancer medicines benefited the patients generally. The utilization of novel medicines such as trastuzumab continuously increased. The insurance coverage benefited well the patients in the high-risk age groups. However, rural patients, patients enrolled in the “resident program”, and patients from low-income residential areas and non-local patients benefited less from this policy. Improving the benefits package of the low-income patients and the “resident program” beneficiary would be of considerable significance for a more inclusive and equal health insurance coverage of novel anti-cancer medicines.

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