 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Dee M. Baldwin, PhD, Georgia's Office of Women's Health, 2 Peachtree Street, N. W., 34th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-463-5038, dee@shpa.state.ga.us
The financial costs of cancer are great both for the individual and for society as a whole. Significant gains were made in the 1990s in fighting the war on cancer. However, cancer treatment accounted for about $41 billion dollars in 1995. High quality cancer care is some of the most expensive care provided to consumers. Health care expenditures broke the one trillion mark in 1996. For federal and state governments health care costs are the fastest growing major budget item, increasing at approximately 8 to 9 percent annually. Pressure from politicians, business leaders and consumers to cut back on the use of health care resources, and to do more with less are mounting.
This paper will address the economics of cancer care by first describing societal trends that have led to an uncontrolled growth in health care expenditures and escalating cost in cancer care. Second, economic issues related to caregiving will be addressed by describing financial problems incurred by the family caregiver. Lastly, strategies for helping the caregiver financially prepare for a major and catastrophic illness will be illuminated.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Caregivers,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.