Summary: “In 2010, the cost of treating breast cancer was about $16.5 billion in the United States — higher than any other type of cancer. This is expected to increase to $20.5 billion by 2020,” Shane Ryan writes in “The Cost of Breast Cancer in the U.S.” at costsofcare.org. “Individual costs vary, depending on the stage of the malignancy and treatment options selected. In the midst of the distress of receiving a cancer diagnosis, many patients feel unsure about discussing money when a treatment plan is being created. That’s why it’s essential that the entire team be involved to understand each patient’s individual situation, the cost of recommended treatments for that specific patient, and what the financial impact will be. A recent study from the University of North Carolina shed light on this issue. Researchers found that uninsured cancer patients often pay anywhere from two to 43 times what Medicare would pay for chemotherapy, as well as higher rates for physician visits.” Shane Ryan, “The Costs of Breast Cancer in the U.S.” Costs of Care.
Jeanne Pinder is the founder and CEO of ClearHealthCosts. She worked at The New York Times for almost 25 years as a reporter, editor and human resources executive, then volunteered for a buyout and founded ClearHealthCosts.
With Pinder at the helm, ClearHealthCosts shared honors for the top network public service journalism project in a partnership with CBS News, as well as winning numerous other journalism prizes.
She was previously a fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at the Columbia University School of Journalism. ClearHealthCosts has won grants from the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York; the International Women’s Media Foundation; the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with KQED public radio in San Francisco and KPCC in Los Angeles; the Lenfest Foundation in Philadelphia for a partnership with The Philadelphia Inquirer; and the New York State Health Foundation for a partnership with WNYC public radio/Gothamist in New York; and other honors.
She is one of Crain’s Notable Women in Tech. Niemanlab wrote of ClearHealthCosts that “The Internet hates secrets.”
Her TED talk about fixing health costs has surpassed 2 million views.