Cancer on Medicare Part D: A life or debt scenario

In 10 seconds? Battling cancer is physically and emotionally draining. What’s worse, is that for many Americans who have medical coverage under Medicare Part D, it can be financially draining as well.

What’s the story? Medicare is US government health insurance that is available to Americans after they turn 65 (with certain technicalities and exceptions). Since cancer is most commonly diagnosed during the later years of life, Medicare is one of the most important cancer care payers. About 50 million Americans today rely on Medicare part D to provide them with their pharmacy prescriptions (Medicare part D specifically covers drugs filled at pharmacies). And it turns out, due to technicalities in how the system is set up today, basic cancer treatments that fall under Part D are frequently unaffordable.