FINANCIAL SCREENING? MANDATORY ALONG WITH HEALTHCARE SCREENING

   FINANCIAL SCREENING? 

        MANDATORY ALONG WITH HEALTHCARE SCREENING

INTRODUCTION:

Cancer is the major global health challenge not only the health aspects but has its significant financial toxicity. This health impact can lead to out of pocket (OOP) expenses along with lost income. Cancer treatment is a multi arrayed plan involving a spectrum of treatments covering chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and palliative support care. Cancer treatment not just being multifaceted, it also needs expenditure of active and prolonged course of time leading to lost income, hence leading to high financial burden, severe debt and diminished living standards. And if there is no healthcare coverage its just flaming up yourself and the family.

RISK FACTORS:

Younger age groups are at higher risk because of inadequate savings and lack of health coverage. 75% of cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries because of lacking financial support. Loss of employment increases financial burden in cancer patients. Not choosing appropriate health insurance or coverage which has only partial coverage can increase more financial toxicity. Large family size has also shown proportionate increase in financial burden due to higher living standards. Old age group are also more vulnerable due to advanced stages and multiple comorbidities.

HIGHER FINANCIAL EXPENDITURE CANCER TREATMENT:

Treatment of Gastrointestinal cancers are among the top financial burden. This is because of need of surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy concurrently. This is often complex and expensive because of treatment costs, prolonged hospitalisation, complications, longer hospital stay.Also these cancers are often detected at advanced stages needing more expensive and prolonged hospitalisation.

PROTECTIVE STRATEGIES:

Higher Education is shown to be protective against cancer health expenditure by 82%. Higher Education people have access to higher paying jobs and better financial stability. Education leads to better health literacy and helps in choosing better health covering insurance. 

Duration of cancer treatment goes beyond 1 year consisting of repeated health consultations, prolonged therapies, loss of job. So it's always advisable to choose comprehensive cancer policies with additional supportive policies to mitigate financial strain. Older patients are usually dependent on fixed incomes like pensions. These are highly unlikely to cover financial coverage. So this necessitates the need for targeted financial support and well covered health coverage.

Larger families are more susceptible for financial toxicity due to proportionately higher living standards.Promoting family planning and financial education can reduce long term financial strain. Targeted financial supports for large families like subsidies or cash transfers can alleviate the strain. Community based initiatives like pooled health care schemes and financial counseling can help odds against cancer health expenditure.

Since GIT cancers have higher financial expenses, targeted financial assistance programs, and supportive care insurance programs covering GI cancers can help to overcome financial burden in these aspects. Since lower income countries are at higher burden, there is a need for targeted health support and policy reforms to alleviate cancer health expenditure. There is also a need for international support to address financial barriers in these low income countries.  

Policy makers should also consider the need for extensive health coverage and expanding health insurance coverage. Its also time for healthcare workers to incorporate  financial counseling when you assess the patient at you outpatient clinic. This not helps to avoid out of pocket costs but helps your patient to continue and complete treatment without constraints.

CONCLUSION:

Diversifying approaches like financial counseling, improvising better education standards, selecting right insurance coverage, implementation of better policies which encompassess targeted treatments requiring higher costs and better financial planning can overcome all odds against cancer health expenditure.

“YOU MAY HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT UNTIL YOU REALLY NEED IT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL COVER AND WHAT THE OUT-POCKET COST EXPENSES WILL BE”