“Many Medicare cancer patients hit by high out-of-pocket costs,” by Laurie McGinley, Washington Post

“Cancer patients with only Medicare coverage face steep out-of-pocket costs, spending on average almost a quarter of their household incomes on treatment, according to a study published Wednesday.  …  Medicare beneficiaries with the lowest out-of-pocket costs also had coverage through Medicaid or the Veterans Health Administration. Their expenses were $2,116 and $2,367 a year, respectively. Seniors with additional coverage through employers had costs of almost $5,500, while those with private ‘Medigap’ policies, which cover copays and deductibles not picked up by Medicare, had expenses of $5,670. Beneficiaries in private Medicare plans — part of Medicare Advantage, which one-third of beneficiaries now choose — had costs of almost $6,000.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):
A pretty good argument for topping up with CI.

Many Medicare cancer patients hit by high out-of-pocket costs

#goldencareagent