People dealing with cancer are  more likely than others with health care debt to owe large sums and to say they don’t expect to ever pay them off. The average cost of medical care and drugs is more than $42,000 in the year following a cancer diagnosis. Insurance covers most costs but due to annual deductibles and health plan cost sharing, patients find themselves responsible for large bills. By utilizing an army of lobbyists and contributing large sums of money to politicians, the major health insurance companies have been able to maintain this most unfair system and continue to reap record profits.

…the high costs of modern-day care have left millions with a devastating financial burden. That’s forced patients and their families to make gut-wrenching sacrifices even as they confront a grave illness…

National Public Radio