Introduction

Rising health care costs leave a growing number of Americans either uninsured or with insurance that does not provide the coverage they need and deserve – especially the 11 million Americans with cancer. The results of a recent survey estimated that 72 million, or 41 percent, of non-elderly adults have accumulated medical debt or had difficulty paying medical bills in the past year – and 61 percent of those with difficulty had insurance. Any medical event, like the diagnosis of cancer, could place a person at risk of taking on a potentially devastating financial burden, even if they have health insurance.