U.S. News & World Report writes: The cost of breast cancer treatment rarely comes up in doctor-patient discussions — but most patients wish it would, researchers report. Researchers surveyed more than 750 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Half the patients were younger than 50. Most had either private health insurance or Medicare and household incomes of more than $74,000. The researchers found that even though the women were relatively well-off, nearly 16 percent said their diagnosis was financially catastrophic. More than half had out-of-pocket costs of $3,500 or more. And 5 percent faced out-of-pocket costs of more than $30,000. The study also revealed that 8 in 10 patients, including those with good health insurance, would prefer to have a cost estimate before beginning treatment.
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U.S News & World Report: https://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2018-09-28/patients-want-breast-cancer-costs-upfront