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Aug 27, 2023

Ezekiel Emanuel: End out

By Torie Bosch May 31, 2023 The high cost of cancer treatment in the U.S. is

By Torie Bosch May 31, 2023

The high cost of cancer treatment in the U.S. is literally killing people. "Over a quarter of cancer patients delay medical care, go without care, or make changes in their cancer treatment because of cost," Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist and co-director of the Health Care Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in a recent First Opinion essay.

But Emanuel says there's a solution: Cancer patients shouldn't have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for their treatment, especially in the first (and typically most expensive) year after diagnosis.

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On this episode of the "First Opinion Podcast," I spoke with Emanuel about his proposal to eliminate cost-sharing for cancer patients. He said that he normally does not embrace such carve-outs for particular illnesses, which he calls "salami slicing." But the staggering costs of cancer — and the number of Americans who are diagnosed every year — mean that it's not only worthwhile but necessary here. We also discussed his most recent book, "Which Country Has the World's Best Health Care?" (Spoiler alert: There's no single answer.)

Be sure to sign up for the weekly "First Opinion Podcast" on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you have any feedback for us — First Opinion authors to feature on the podcast, kudos, or darts — email us at [email protected] and please put "podcast" in the subject line.

Editor, First Opinion

Torie Bosch is the First Opinion editor at STAT.

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