Out-of-pocket costs from diagnostic testing after prostate cancer screening are common and rising

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening aims to identify men who may harbor potentially lethal prostate cancer, and those with high PSA results often require more extensive (and expensive) diagnostic testing to establish a diagnosis. New research reveals that the out-of-pocket costs for such additional tests are substantial, common, and rising. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER , a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Abnormal screening tests (i.e., elevated PSA) warrant additional testing involving magnetic resonance imaging and/or prostate biopsies.

High out-of-pocket costs for these tests-;including copayment, coinsurance, and deductibles-;may not only place a substantial burden on patients, but also may deter patients from going through with recommended screening. To investigate the extent of such financial burdens, researchers analyzed information on 3,075,841 US privately insured men ages 55–69 years old who underwent PSA screening in 2010–2020. Among these men, 91,850 had a second PSA test and an elevated PSA, of which 40,329 (43.

9%) underwent subsequent diagnostic testing. Among the men who underwent subsequent testing, more than 75% experienced out-of-pocket costs. The median out-of-pocket costs rose substantially over the years of the study for patients undergoing biopsy only ($79 to $214), imaging only ($81 to $490), and imaging plus biopsy ($353 to $620).

In 2023, the American Cancer Society published a statement asserting.