Dedicated cancer centers trigger rising health costs

Here where I live, there are several prestigious hospitals with dedicated cancer care centers. At the Johns Hopkins Hospital alone, the Kimmel Cancer Center boasts of the most innovative and advanced therapies in the world. It is complete and self-sufficient such that patients don’t even have to cross the street to get tests or treatments. Everything is inside one building. The Cancer Center also comes with its own family and patient services, including a Cancer Counseling Center, survivors and palliative care programs, and two residences for patients traveling from out-of-town to receive treatment.

This is happening across the other 40 cancer centers that were designed by the National Canter Institute. As one doctor said, “We don’t want to see a patient traveling 200 miles to get here,” hence the comprehensive centers of treatment. This arrangement is perfect for treatment and counseling patients and their families. Unfortunately, it comes with a high price tag.

More at “The high price of saving lives: Cancer centers partly to blame for rising health costs.”

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