Being diagnosed with breast cancer is a shock, both emotionally and physically. But there is an aspect that we talk about less: the financial reality of the disease. Few people know it, but many “parallel” costs are not covered by Health Insurance. To have a post-mastectomy bra designed for their new silhouette, a larger-than-life wig or even a moisturizer compatible with chemo, patients must put their hands in their wallets. These expenses are too often underestimated. However, they push some patients into precariousness. Here is the true cost of breast cancer, the one that no one talks about!
An unexpected financial burden
In the series « Breaking Bad »the protagonist who suffers from lung cancer, is willing to mortgage and deal meth to save his skin and provide for his family. French women suffering from breast cancer are not yet at Walter White’s point, but they are also facing expenses for which they were not necessarily prepared. They have to pay for an illness they neither chose nor caused.
In France, breast cancer is recognized as a long-term condition (ALD) by Social Security, a status which guarantees 100% coverage of “essential” care. This means that treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy or surgery are “reimbursed”, but everything around it is costed. Transport to provide care, nights in hospital, boxes of medicine, medical accessories… you have to read the fine print carefully to detect these hidden “costs”.
In 2018-2019, 22% of patients surveyed by the Societal Cancer Observatory declared having had to incur expenses not reimbursed by Social Security, from the diagnosis phase. Breast cancer patients must therefore pay out of their own pocket for additional, but valuable, needs. On average, these fees may vary between 1,300 and 2,500 eurosa significant amount which comes on top of an already trying period.
What do these expenses represent?
These expenses which are borne by patients are not trivial and are reflected in the bank account. Especially among women who temporarily stop working to prioritize their health. While reconstructive surgery and medical tattoos are covered, they are meager “gifts” compared to everything else. Expenses include items like:
- The right underwear. After a mastectomy or breast surgery, patients need specific, often expensive, bras.
- The wigs. Chemotherapy often causes hair loss. Quality wigs, which allow women to regain some of their self-esteem, can cost several hundred euros.
- Products for side effects. Moisturizers for damaged skin, food supplements to compensate for deficiencies, care for vaginal dryness and many other products necessary to manage the impact of treatments.
- Additional consultations. Some patients consult non-reimbursed professionals, such as naturopaths, osteopaths or psychologists, to better experience their treatment.
Costs that weaken patients
These costs, even if they are considered “secondary”, remain essential to maintain an acceptable quality of life. But for many women, they sometimes represent a financial burden too heavy. Some patients find themselves forced to make difficult choices: give up a wig that could help them reconnect with their reflection, or opt for less effective, but more affordable products.
Patients who receive the minimum wage or who are unemployed can quickly find themselves in a financial impasse. Torn between the desire to heal and the fear of running out of money, they do not see the way out. This economic pressure adds to the mental and emotional load already immense linked to the disease. It can even slow down the healing process. Because yes, financial stress has a direct impact on the mental and physical health of patients.
A bill to relieve patients
To remedy all the current shortcomings in Social Security and help these sick women, forced to make sacrifices in their well-being, a promising bill was examined on October 23. She claims the “full coverage of care related to the treatment of breast cancer by health insurance”.
Among the key measures, the introduction of a specific package for patients who have undergone a mastectomy or lumpectomy. This package would cover products previously not reimbursed, such as specialized creams to soothe the side effects of treatments or accessories such as suitable underwear.
But that’s not all. A key amendmentsupported by the government, goes even further. It offers full coverage for certain supportive care. These services include: adapted physical activity (APA), psychological support and dietary advice. This proposed law, although there is still room for improvement, marks an important step towards more humane and equitable care.
With the current political instability, it is difficult to know if this proposed law will come to fruition. But it gives hope to patients, who still bear the cost of breast cancer.
