By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    private
    Private Exchanges: Getting Ready for Individual Health Insurance to Be the Standard
    January 9, 2014
    valueable healthcare programs
    5 Most Valuable Healthcare Programs in 2023
    March 8, 2023
    Johnson & Johnson to Release Clinical Trial Data in Agreement with Yale Medical School
    February 4, 2014
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Cancer Patients Seeing the Ripple Effects from Sequestration
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Finance > Cancer Patients Seeing the Ripple Effects from Sequestration
FinanceHealth ReformPolicy & LawPublic HealthSpecialties

Cancer Patients Seeing the Ripple Effects from Sequestration

Linda Ringquist
Linda Ringquist
Share
4 Min Read
Sequestration
SHARE

Summary:  The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) seeks to provide accessible affordable care to more SequestrationAmericans. However, the ripple effects of the sequestration (to Medicare patients undergoing cancer treatments) are in direct contrast to these goals and principles.

Let’s start with the basics and talk about what sequestration means.

Summary:  The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) seeks to provide accessible affordable care to more SequestrationAmericans. However, the ripple effects of the sequestration (to Medicare patients undergoing cancer treatments) are in direct contrast to these goals and principles.

Let’s start with the basics and talk about what sequestration means.

More Read

australia health
The Impact of Global Health Crises on Personal Finance
Secret Shoppers in Doctors’ Offices: Placebo Medicine for Physicians
First-Ever Look Inside a Concussed Brain Reveals Porous Barriers
Tackling the Side Effects of Parkinson’s Treatment
Titanium: The Latest Building Block for The Future Of Medicine

Sequestration is across the board spending cuts issued by the federal government to assist in reducing the national deficit which is currently in the trillions. The sequestration was enacted in the first part of 2013. Some of the major areas which were cut were:

  • Medicare
  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Medical funding grants
  • Funding for medical schools and teaching hospitals
  • Funding for medical research
  • Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
  • The Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) specifically pertaining to implementing the PPACA
  • Military
  • Federal employee paychecks in the form of furloughs
  • World Trade Center Fund
  • Health insurance exchange grants
  • Prevention and public health fund

We are starting to see the impact of these spending cuts in a ripple effect. One of the areas of concern is the treatment of cancer patients who are public healthcovered by Medicare who are treated in clinics. Medicare cuts were issued as 2% across the board and primarily affect Part B and Part D. Chemotherapy treatments are very costly. The Medicare cuts have created the ripple effect of cancer treatments in clinics too costly for the clinics to remain profitable.

At this point, clinics are faced with the following choices:

  • No longer accept Medicare patients – currently approximately 60% of Medicare cancer patients are seen in a clinic setting. With this potential loss of patients, will the clinics be able to survive?
  • No longer administer treatments which aren’t profitable
  • Wait and see if the government will exempt cancer treatments from the sequestration

What does this mean to the patient?

  • Patients will have less accessibility to treatment
  • The treatments will be more costly
  • Some of the costs will be passed along to the patient to the tune of about an additional $650 annually
  • May have to wait for treatments based upon the availability of the hospital

What does this mean for hospitals?

  • Hospitals will see a rise in Medicare cancer patients
  • Healthcare costs will rise as hospitals charge approximately $6000 more for treatments than clinics do
  • Additional staff may be required to treat these patients
  • Will hospitals be able to absorb the influx of patients? Currently about 60% of Medicare cancer patients are currently being seen in a clinic setting.

Does the sequestration make sense as it specifically relates to Medicare cuts? The PPACA was designed to provide more affordable and accessible care to more Americans. If cancer patients are being turned away from clinics, isn’t this in direct contrast to what the PPACA is trying to accomplish? Is it worth jeopardizing the care of Medicare cancer patients? Shouldn’t patient care be first and foremost? Will we see a rise in cancer patients and deaths attributed to cancer? We would love to hear your comments.

TAGGED:cancerPPACA
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

It’s Counterintuitive: Cancer and Laughter

February 10, 2014

A Challenge of Ethics on Facebook

February 29, 2012

Peer for Performance – Financial Incentives in Global Health

September 17, 2011
FitnessObesityWellness

Food, Mood, And Wellbeing: Is The Western Diet Making Us Sick?

February 7, 2020
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?