Millions of Cancer Patients and Survivors Are Facing Skyrocketing Health Care Costs, Losing Coverage, and Seeing Access to Lifesaving Treatment Disappear
Cancer isn’t just one of the deadliest diseases in America, it’s prohibitively expensive for many families to treat — and the Trump-GOP war on health care has only made battling cancer more costly. This World Cancer Day, Trump and the GOP are making it harder for cancer patients and survivors to afford the checkups, treatments, and prescription drugs they need to survive. By excluding expensive cancer drugs from Medicare drug price negotiation, ending protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, and refusing to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits nearly 22 million Americans rely on, Republicans are throwing salt in the wound for every American battling cancer. And by shutting down hospitals and health care providers across the country and abruptly ending trials for potentially lifesaving cancer treatments, the GOP is shrinking the number of treatment options available even to Americans who can afford care. Trump and Republicans owe it to brave cancer patients and survivors to start passing health care policies that prioritize their health over the wealth of Big Pharma CEOs.
By the Numbers:
- There are 18.6 million cancer survivors in the United States.
- 43 percent of cancer patients who relied on the ACA tax credits Republicans ripped away said they would not be able to afford health care without those tax credits.
- The Big, Ugly Bill exempted cancer treatments Keytruda and Opdivo from Medicare price negotiations through at least 2028, meaning the over 100,000 seniors who relied on these treatments in 2023 will continue paying exorbitant prices for years to come.
- 49 percent of cancer patients are struggling with debt and cannot afford higher costs.
- Over 115 clinical research trials treating 74,000 patients were disrupted by RFK Jr.’s massive cuts to federal research.
Trump Continues to Threaten Repeal of the Affordable Care Act and Has Rolled Back Ended Protections for Pre-existing Conditions. Though nearly 60 percent of adults have a favorable opinion of the ACA, Republicans continue their assault on this lifesaving bill. While repeal failed in 2017, Trump and fellow congressional Republicans have weakened the law by eliminating enhanced tax credits, shortening open enrollment periods, introducing more pre-enrollment requirements, and adding work requirements for those getting health insurance through Medicaid expansion. Trump also rolled back a Biden-era executive order that ended short-term junk plans notorious for charging more or denying coverage altogether for people with pre-existing conditions like cancer. If Republicans succeed in repealing or continuing to undermine the ACA, health insurance companies may no longer be required to include provisions like preventative care that catch cancer diagnoses early.
Republicans Gutted Tax Credits for Health Care, Forcing Cancer Survivors and Patients to Make the Impossible Choice Between Keeping Their Health Coverage and Incurring Major Debt. It is imperative that Americans diagnosed with cancer and other chronic illnesses are able to acess necessary care, tests, and treatment at an affordable price. 72 percent of cancer patients and survivors support extending the ACA tax credits Trump and Republicans just ripped away. However, Republicans have continuously refused to extend these subsidies, causing health care costs to double, triple, and even quadruple for people across the country. One in three Americans who buy health care on their own have been left with no option but to reduce their coverage and pay thousands more each year in out-of-pocket health care costs. With no tax credit extension in sight, 30 percent of cancer patients and survivors say they will delay or skip medical care to reduce expenses, 25 percent will cancel their coverage, and 24 percent will incur debt in order to keep their coverage.
Trump Sold Out Seniors Fighting Cancer to Line the Pockets of Big Drug Companies. Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill included a provision that expanded the exclusion of orphan drugs from Medicare drug price negotiation. This has delayed popular cancer drugs, Keytruda and Opdivo, from being included in price negotiation this year — keeping prices high and out of reach for many seniors. In 2023, over 71,000 seniors with Medicare Part B took Keytruda and over 27,000 took Opdivo. If Keytruda was included in drug price negotiations this year, seniors who use the drug would have saved an estimated $3,300 annually. Delaying or excluding orphan drugs doesn’t only cost patients, but will also cost the federal government $8.8 billion over the next decade in lost Medicare savings. This is just another example of how the Trump administration and Republicans continue to prioritize cash grabs for big corporations over life-changing savings for everyday people.
NIH Cuts by Trump and RFK Jr. Put New Cancer Research in Peril. Nearly a year ago, RFK Jr. made massive cuts to federal research, totaling nearly $4 billion in terminated grants, including $273 million that went to cancer research specifically. A recent study found that over 74,000 patients were affected by cuts to clinical trials, and nearly 1 in every 30 clinical trials were interrupted, including over 115 cancer research trials. Cutting research funding mid-trial leads to a significant waste of research dollars and can put patients in these trials at risk. Republicans are once again disregarding the needs of their constituents as the public overwhelmingly supports federally funded cancer research. If these cuts continue, cancer research will greatly suffer. Health care costs will increase as the latest treatments and innovations can no longer be studied and diverse patients will suffer as research for cancers and diseases most prevalent in their communities receive even less funding. There was a 12 percent decrease in funding for new cancer research from the NIH between 2024 and 2025. This equates to a loss of 255 grants and 255 fewer studies.
Newly Appointed Chairman of the President’s Cancer Panel Spread Misinformation About COVID-19 Vaccine Connection to Cancer. Dr. Harvey Risch was recently appointed to serve as chairman of the President’s Cancer Panel, where he will oversee the National Cancer Program. Risch has spoken on conservative podcasts about a connection between the COVID-19 vaccine and “turbo cancer” and he promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment — both unfounded claims. He also serves as the chief epidemiologist for a MAGA-aligned alternative health organization, The Wellness Company, where he has promoted ivermectin as a cancer treatment — also an unfounded claim. Trump’s nominees to lead important health-related agencies, organizations, and panels have proven time and again to be dangerous and incompetent — just take RFK Jr., Dr. Oz, and Casey Means for example.