Breast cancer survival highest in US

Five year breast cancer survival rate is highest in the United States compared to major countries.
breast cancer survival US

Over 90% of women will survive five years or longer following a breast cancer diagnosis.*

“With millions of gig-economy workers a new way of financial planning is needed especially for working age women.”

Jesse Slome, director of the American Association of Critical Illness Insurance

Breast cancer survival rates for countries reported

A study reveals that U.S. women have the highest five year survival rate following a breast cancer diagnosis.

According to data posted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) the following are survival rates for various countries. Data for 2010-2014.

  • United States (90.2%)
  • Australia (89.5%)
  • Canada (88.6%)
  • Japan (89.4%)
  • Korea (86.6%)
  • Netherlands (86.6%)
  • New Zealand (87.6%)
  • Sweden (88.8%)
  • Switzerland (86.2%)
  • United Kingdom (85.6%)

“This year 1.8 million Americans will hear the devastating words, you have cancer,” explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. “The good news is that most will survive. Breast cancer is terrible but it is no longer a death sentence for all.”

Many women are impacted financially. Health insurance today typically includes deductibles and co-insurance payments that must be met. Many women will need to take time off from work for treatment. “How will you pay your rent or mortgage let alone your medical expenses when you aren’t working?” asks Slome. “Millions of women are now part of the gig-economy. They need a new way of financial planning,” Slome advises.

Women in their 40s and 50s have new financial planning needs

The 5-year cancer survival rate for all cancers combined during 2009 through 2015 was 67% overall according to AACII reports. Over 276,400 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Another 48,530 women will be diagnosed with in situ breast cancer.

Cancer patients are two and a half times as likely to declare bankruptcy as healthy people. Researchers have found that those patients who go bankrupt are 80 percent more likely to die from the disease than other cancer patients. This data comes from studies conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.

Cancer insurance can help prevent the financial killer

“A small amount of cancer insurance can literally be a financial lifesaver,” says Slome. “Women will get good medical care. They also need good financial care and that is especially true for working age women.” Slome notes that a cancer insurance policy providing $10,000 in cash benefits will cost a 40 year old woman less than $100 a year. “Considering the risk, this is a highly affordable and highly important protection that more women need to consider.”

To get a better approximation of costs, the Association provides an instant critical illness insurance cost calculator. The calculator provides an estimate of costs for $10,000 of cancer insurance coverage.

Slome recommends women consider coverage equal to rent or mortgage payments for a time period of between 6 and 18 months. “That generally will be a suitable benefit amount for most and certainly more affordable than deluxe plans,” he notes.

Critical illness insurance association best source for statistics

Source. Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development

Other resources for women recommended by AACII

Firstly for women turning 65 within the next year, find Local Medicare insurance agents on the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance website.

Secondly, for women between 50 and 65, visit the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance website. Because there you can request a free no obligation long-term care insurance cost quote from a LTC insurance specialist.

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