Understanding How Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Treatment Value, and Patient Characteristics Influence Treatment Choices -- U.S.

"The study used a convenience sample of patients undergoing surveillance following curative treatment for localized cancer who completed a paper survey to estimate the maximum copayment patients are willing to pay for better treatment outcomes. Results suggest that patients may be less willing to pay high copayments for treatments with modest benefit. In addition, sociodemographic factors such as education and employment status were associated with willingness to pay." "In conclusion, this study demonstrates that it is feasible to measure cancer patients' WTP (willingness to pay) for treatments in both the adjuvant and palliative settings. In addition, our results support the hypothesis that cancer patients' WTP for treatment may be influenced by both sociodemographic factors and their assessment of the treatment's value. If confirmed in a larger, more heterogeneous population, these findings suggest that insurance benefit designs based on treatment value may be feasible for cancer treatment. However, they also highlight the risk that higher out-of-pocket expenses may contribute to socioeconomic disparities in cancer care."