CDC STUDY SAYS CANCER SURVIVORS FACE LARGE FINANCIAL BURDEN

FROM:  CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION 

US cancer survivors face significant economic burden

Medical costs, health insurance access, and lost productivity have an impact
U.S. cancer survivors face significant economic burdens due to growing medical costs, missed work, and reduced productivity, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

 “Cancer survivors face physical, emotional, psycho-social, employment and financial challenges as a result of their cancer diagnosis and treatment,” said Donatus U. Ekwueme, PhD, a senior health economist at CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “With the number of cancer survivors expected to increase by more than 30 percent in the next decade – to 18 million Americans -- medical and public health professionals must be diligent in their efforts to help reduce the burden of cancer on survivors and their families.”
Researchers analyzed data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s 2008-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to estimate annual medical costs and productivity losses among male and female cancer survivors, aged 18 years and older, and among persons without a cancer diagnosis. Lost productivity was estimated by reviewing employment disability (being unable to work because of illness or injury), health-related missed work days, and days spent in bed due to ill health.

From 2008-2011, male cancer survivors had annual medical costs of more than $8,000 per person, and productivity losses of $3,700 compared to males without a history of cancer at $3,900 and $2,300 respectively. During the same time, female cancer survivors had $8,400 in annual medical costs per person and $4,000 in productivity losses compared to females without a history of cancer at $5,100 and $2,700, respectively.

Study findings indicate:

Cancer survivors were more likely to be female, non-Hispanic white, have multiple chronic conditions, or to be in fair or poor health.

Employment disability accounted for about 75 percent of lost productivity among cancer survivors.

Among survivors who were employed at the time of their diagnosis, cancer and its treatment interfered with physical tasks (25 percent) and mental tasks required by the job (14 percent); almost 25 percent of cancer survivors felt less productive at work.

The report also found that about 10 percent of survivors aged 65 years and younger were uninsured and likely to have a larger financial burden compared to survivors with some source of payment for medical services. Through the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans, including cancer survivors, have access to health coverage and preventive services.

The authors noted that nearly 32 percent of survivors experienced limitations in their usual daily activities outside of work because of cancer. Among those employed, more than 42 percent had to make changes to their work hours and duties. Comprehensive health and employment intervention programs may be needed to improve outcomes for cancer survivors and their families.

PENTAGON SAYS SHUTDOWN OST $600 MILLION IN LOST PRODUCTIVITY

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Comptroller: Shutdown Cost DOD $600 Million in Productivity
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2013 - Furloughs of civilian employees as a result of the government shutdown cost the Defense Department at least $600 million in productivity, the Pentagon's top financial officer said today.

During a Pentagon news conference, DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale said that in addition to the lost productivity, the shutdown generated a number of other costs that have yet to be calculated.

"We built up interest payments, because we were forced to pay vendors late," Hale said. "We had to cancel training classes, so we had to bring the people home on orders and then send them right back again."

The short-term deal signed by President Barack Obama late yesterday doesn't put the department on firm budgetary ground, Hale noted. With no flexibility to move funds between accounts, and accounts frozen at 2012 levels, he said, the department will have to be as fiscally watchful as it can.

"If that's a vague answer, it's because things are kind of vague," he said. "It's not a good way to run a railroad."

The temporary funding measure that allowed the government to reopen prevents DOD from starting new projects, Hale said. And one of the biggest problems, he added, is that it requires the department to buy the same ships it bought last year, because Congress appropriates by ship.

"It's a 'Groundhog Day' approach to budgeting," the comptroller said.

The budget uncertainty will have an impact on staffing levels and morale, he added. If the budget stays at the level authorized under the Budget Control Act of 2011, he said, "we're going to have to get smaller." Hale added that the department will try to meet the staffing goals through attrition, but that either way, it will mean fewer civilian employees.

"I'm a lot more worried about the morale effects," Hale said. "We need some stability, and we need to keep telling [employees] they're important, and then we need to show it through things like pay raises and no more furloughs, etc."

Without a change to the budget, there will also be military force reductions, Hale said.

"I think all of us are aware that it will be a somewhat different, smaller military if we have to go through with those cuts," he added. "We will be as prepared as we can, within the limits of time that we have, to be ready for a wide range of contingencies, because we know that's what we face."