Cancer Patients with ACA Policies Swiftly Reach Out-of-Pocket Caps

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ASCO Abstract #6504
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on Saturday, June 4, 2016
DURHAM, N.C. – A hypothetical leukemia patient buying the life-extending drug therapy for his condition would reach his annual out-of-pocket maximum in a month on most of the bronze policies and half of the silver policies offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.   
The findings, reported by researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago (Abstract #6504), found that cancer patients buying health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace should take into account annual premiums, out-of-pocket maximums, and potential treatment costs – not just one or another of those factors. Even then, the coverage level did not necessarily predict the amount of expected out-of-pocket costs.
“When when using all those criteria, the least expensive choice for patients was often the lower tier policies -- typically sold as the “bronze” option -- but not always,” said senior author Yousuf Zafar, M.D., associate professor in the School of Medicine and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. “Patients might assume that the bronze policy would be the least expensive compared to silver or gold levels, but it’s important to shop carefully, particularly when considering out-of-pocket expenses.”
Zafar and colleagues g...

Source: DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features - June 4, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Tags: Duke Medicine Source Type: news