The Real Cost of Cancer

Last year, the Irish Cancer Society published its Real Cost of Cancer report.

This report examined the cost of a cancer diagnosis, and found that on average, it meant an extra €862 a month in expenses, and a loss of income of €1,400.

Ahead of Budget 2017, the Irish Cancer Society is advocating for actions that ease the financial burden of cancer for patients and their families.
In the coming weeks we’ll be calling on Government to:

• Reduce the Drugs Payment Scheme reimbursement threshold from €144 to €85 per month
• Abolish prescription charges for medical cards holders (€2.50 per item up to €25 per month)
• Waive inpatient charges for cancer patients undergoing treatment

We’d like to speak with anyone who has experienced the difficulty managing the cost of cancer, about what these changes would mean to them on a day to day basis, so the voice of people who would most benefit from these changes can be heard when we speak to politicians, officials and the media.

If you have experienced significant costs and would like to talk about how these changes would benefit you, please get in touch with advocacy@irishcancer.ie.