How We Can Address Financial Toxicity for People Living with Cancer & Lower Costs for People & Providers Alike
By Susan Hedlund, Director, Supportive Care Initiatives
In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, the financial toxicity has become a stark reality for many people living with cancer and their loved ones. The financial strain that accompanies the cost of care extends far beyond the immediate medical costs. It affects quality of life, treatment decisions, and overall well-being of those who are already grappling with a life-altering diagnosis. As an oncology social worker, I have seen firsthand how the burdens of financial toxicity can tip the balance between recovery and hardship.
Defining Financial Toxicity and Its Impact on People with Cancer Diagnoses
Financial toxicity is defined as the convergence of the objective financial burden—such as high out-of-pocket expenses, co-pays, and indirect costs like transportation and childcare—with the subjective distress experienced by patients and their families.
When a diagnosis of cancer arrives, it often marks the beginning of a financial journey filled with unexpected costs and difficult choices. Research indicates that over 25% of cancer survivors experience financial hardship during their treatment, leading to a cascade of impacts on their mental and physical health.
People receiving cancer treatment often face the heart-wrenching decision of choosing between paying for medications and covering essential living expenses. I recall a case early in my career of a patient—whom I will refer to as Linda—who had to choose between paying her rent or maintaining her health insurance. She chose the latter and, as a result, ended up living in her car while undergoing treatment. Her experience was unfortunately not uncommon: a struggle that not only jeopardizes their ability to adhere to treatment but also diminishes their overall quality of life.
Financial toxicity does not exist in a vacuum. It often compounds the challenges already faced by those with limited income or access to care, deepening disparities among the most vulnerable. The economic ripple effects extend beyond medical bills—into workplaces, families, and communities.
Patients and caregivers often report missing 15 to 20 hours of work each week, which can mean lost wages or using unpaid time off for appointments, transportation, or care coordination—leaving little time for rest or recovery. Nearly 42% of people with cancer report reduced productivity or interference with work tasks, a burden that contributes to billions in lost income and productivity across the country.
Nearly half (49%) of cancer patients and survivors report being burdened by medical debt alongside some (13%) who report to expect to incur medical debt as part of their treatment plan, according to a new Survivor Views survey by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Interestingly, nearly all (98%) were insured when medical debt occurred.
We urgently need for a more resilient system—one that supports patients holistically, rather than penalizing them during their time of need.
Supportive Cancer Care Improves Quality of Life, Lowers Cost for People & Providers
Investing in early, ongoing supportive cancer care interventions— wraparound services like financial navigation, patient education, and coordinated care— can significantly lower overall healthcare costs. For example, timely supportive cancer care can lead to shorter hospital stays, reduce the need for costly readmissions, and ultimately, improve treatment adherence.
When patients have access to financial counseling and other supportive services, they are better equipped to manage both their treatment and their day-to-day lives. This proactive approach translates into higher quality outcomes and, in the long term, a reduction in the systemic costs associated with prolonged or interrupted treatment cycles. This benefits both employers and providers.
With cancer care costs expected to exceed $250 billion in 2025, adopting a model that integrates financial and clinical support can be a transformative step toward ensuring that every patient can access high-quality, affordable care.
Steps to Combat Financial Toxicity
Addressing financial toxicity requires systemic changes that extend beyond individual care teams. Policy solutions play a crucial role in fostering an environment where supportive care is accessible to all. That’s why many of our grantee partners are advancing supportive care, many of these partners are members of the Together for Supportive Cancer Care coalition—a cross-sector alliance of more than 40 organizations.
Priorities and policy solutions include:
- Expand Access to Financial Navigation Services: Encourage healthcare systems to integrate financial navigators who can guide patients through the maze of insurance and assistance programs. Organizations like City of Hope and Cancer Support Community are already embedding financial navigators into care settings—ensuring patients can access insurance benefits, co-pay assistance, and other financial supports during treatment.
- Enhance Employer-Supported Cancer Care Initiatives: Promoting policies that incentivize employers to provide early supportive care, ensuring that workers facing a cancer diagnosis do not have to face it alone. Leaders like Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH) are equipping employers with tools and data to provide early, workplace-based support—so that no employee facing cancer has to go it alone.
- Increase Funding for Community-Based Support Programs: Allocating public and private funds to non-profit organizations like the Dempsey Center, and Crossroads4Hope that offer no-cost services to alleviate the financial burden on patients.
- Price Transparency for Treatment: Advocate for regulatory reforms that make the costs of cancer treatment clearer and more predictable. Policy leaders like ACS CAN are working to ensure patients have the information they need to make informed decisions—without risking financial ruin.
Through the work of the Together for Supportive Cancer Care coalition and its partners, bipartisan policies like these can create a healthcare system where high-quality, whole-person cancer care is not a luxury—but the national standard, regardless of where someone receives treatment.
Financial toxicity is a profound challenge in the realm of cancer care—one that affects patients far beyond the clinical realm. By understanding its multifaceted impacts and embracing higher value care models, we can begin to address the burden on people living with cancer, their loved ones, and caregivers. Through thoughtful bipartisan policy and robust community initiatives, we have the opportunity to build a healthcare system that supports patients holistically, and ultimately, reduces the overall cost of care.
Together, we can ensure that everyone living with cancer not only survives but thrives—without the added burden of financial despair.
