Summary

Description

According to findings reported in Impact of Chronic Conditions on the Cost of Cancer Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries, published in Volume 2, Issue 4 of the Medicare and Medicaid Research Review, the average cost of care for cancer patients with four specific preexisting chronic conditions was significantly higher than for patients without any of these conditions. The study analyzed administrative data linked with cancer registry data to estimate cost of care for beneficiaries with cardiac disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental health disorders. The cost increases ranged from 4,385 dollars for cardiac disease to 11,009 dollars for mental health disorders. Medicaid cancer patients often have preexisting chronic conditions and these conditions are projected to increase in the future. The implementation of better care management processes for cancer patients with preexisting chronic conditions may be one way to reduce these costs.