Avalere Health analyzed three years of commercial health plan data to examine the differences in the total cost of care for cancer patients based on the site of service of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Our study compared the average total episode costs for patients receiving treatment for cancer in a physician’s office (including freestanding radiation therapy centers) versus those receiving treatment in a hospital outpatient department (HOPD). The total episode costs included both plan payments and patient liability (copays / co-insurance) for all services received during the treatment episode, whether related or unrelated to the care for the patient’s cancer. We controlled for patient’s age, gender, and the prior history of cancer in calculating the total episode costs.
Read full document: Total Cost of Cancer Care by Site of Service: Physician Office vs Outpatient Hospital