If a mesothelioma patient gets help from family, friends, and even their insurance, the truth is that cancer treatment in the United States is still quite expensive. According to research, in 2014 alone, the average cost spent per mesothelioma patient was $24,124, bringing the total cost for that year to $44,214,835. When it comes to cancer in general, a 2017 report from the Cancer Action Network found that in 2014 alone, cancer patients paid almost $4 billion out-of-pocket for cancer treatments and that approximately $87.8 billion was spent on cancer-related health care.
Why is Cancer Treatment Expensive in the United States?
According to a 2018 article on the US News website, cancer represents a huge financial burden in America. So why is this the case? Generally, cancer treatment is so expensive in the United States because of three things:
- Personnel
- Physical structures and buildings
- Medicine
Personnel
Medical personnel such as doctors and nurses must be adequately trained before they can begin working. After training, medical personnel take on a lot of responsibilities. Thus, they are compensated for the work they do and also for the many years of training. Generally, medical professionals are paid for their knowledge and skills.
A patient who requires the services of a mesothelioma doctor ends up paying quite a substantial amount of money because of the skills and knowledge that such an expert possesses. However, in the end, the skills and knowledge of a mesothelioma doctor can improve a patient's quality of treatment.
Physical Structures and Buildings
Health care providers also need appropriate structures and buildings in which to treat patients. Even a simple treatment facility can cost millions of dollars to build and maintain. Apart from it being expensive to build structures and buildings, the technology and equipment needed in a cancer treatment facility are expensive. It is also costly to maintain this technology and equipment. All these costs can make cancer treatment expensive.
Medicine
Cancer drugs can be quite expensive. This might be because of all the costs that go into developing effective cancer treatment. Pharmaceutical companies spend quite a substantial amount of money when discovering cancer drugs and testing them for safety and efficacy. These companies can end up setting cancer drug prices high to recover the money they spent on research, development, and testing. A cancer patient is forced to pay the high costs or forgo treatment when that happens.
Compensation for Mesothelioma Costs
Fortunately, mesothelioma patients are often eligible for compensation. Generally, anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos yet did not choose to be exposed to this toxic substance can recover compensation. A mesothelioma patient can recover compensation from a lawsuit, an asbestos trust fund, a workers' compensation claim, and other legal claims. Compensation can help ease the burden of cancer treatment and even living expenses.
Arizona Mesothelioma Lawyers
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced Arizona mesothelioma attorneys about your situation. Our office can help investigate your case and determine if compensation can be sought from negligent parties to help you and your family live a more comfortable life.
