Out-of-pocket-payments and the financial burden of 502 cancer patients of working age in Germany: results from a longitudinal study.
Support Care Cancer
; 27(6): 2221-2228, 2019 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30315427
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Cancer patients in Germany often face payments related to their disease or treatment which are not covered by their health insurance. The aim of this study was to analyze the amount of out-of-pocket payments (OOPPs) among cancer patients in Germany, to explore potential socioeconomic determinants of OOPPs, and to identify how cancer patients are burdened by these payments.METHODS:
Cancer ptients were consecutively enrolled in 16 clinics in Leipzig, Germany. Data on OOPPs for the past 3 months and on socioeconomic status were obtained at the end of their hospital stay (t0) and 3 (t1) and 15 months (t2) after t0. Financial burden was calculated by dividing the monthly OOPPs by the midpoint of the income category, and the perceived burden was assessed by using the financial difficulties scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30. A two-part regression model was used to estimate the determinants of OOPPs.RESULTS:
At baseline (t0), 502 cancer patients participated in the study and provided data on OOPPs and socioeconomic status. The mean 3-month OOPPs were the following 205.8 at baseline, 179.2 at t1, and 148.1 at t2. Compared to the lowest income group (< 500 monthly), all other income groups (500-999, 1000-1499, and ≥ 1500) had higher 3-month OOPPs of 52.3 (p = 0.241), 90.2 (p = 0.059), or 62.2 (p = 0.176). Financial burden at t0 was 6.4% (SD 9.2%) on average, 5.4% (SD 9.9%) at t1, and to 3.9% (SD 7.0%) of monthly income at t2.CONCLUSION:
German cancer patients face relatively high OOPPs during their cancer journey. These payments may burden cancer patients, especially certain subgroups like low-income groups.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Gastos em Saúde
/
Seguro Saúde
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Neoplasias
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Alemanha