Can't afford cancer treatment? Busting three myths — medical bills can be deferred

[2023 cheat sheet: hospital credit card payments, cancer subsidies you can apply for, and ways to defer payment]

A cancer diagnosis is not only a physical ordeal for the patient but an emotional strain on the whole family. When patients are told they need expensive treatment, questions like "I can't afford cancer treatment," "What subsidies can cancer patients apply for?", "Can I pay by credit card at the hospital?", "Do hospital card payments earn rewards?" and "I can't pay my medical bills" are what those without the means to cover treatment costs may ask — and the financial burden can make the treatment journey even harder. However, in Taiwan, financially disadvantaged cancer patients can seek assistance from the government or charitable organizations, while middle-class patients who don't qualify for subsidies can opt to defer payment of their drug costs. We hope patients and their families never abandon treatment over financial hardship, but instead focus on treatment and recovery. This article aims to clarify: when you can't afford cancer treatment or pay your medical bills, what options exist for deferring treatment costs beyond paying by credit card at the hospital, and what are the risks — so you can easily assess the deferred-payment option with the lowest risk and interest.

A1: In Taiwan's healthcare system, most hospitals collect payment before treatment to safeguard their financial stability and operational efficiency. Medical resources are limited, and unpaid medical bills could affect hospital operations. In addition, many complex examinations and tests must be performed before treatment, all of which consume medical resources and cost money, so a portion of the fees is collected up front to cover them. Furthermore, under Article 61, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Care Act, healthcare institutions may not advertise or solicit patients by "offering consumers installment, loan, or financing payment options" — so hospitals cannot publicly promote installment plans, loans or financing for medical bills. Patients, however, can proactively evaluate legitimate installment options for paying drug costs, achieving treat-first-pay-later medical care.

#Healthcare institutions are legally barred from advertising installment, loan or financing options to solicit patients. Yet middle-class cancer patients' families with the ability to pay drug costs in full can consider deferred-payment options such as drug cost installments, so that fees never block the golden window for treatment.

A2: Many people mistakenly believe that being unable to pay medical bills means going without treatment. In fact, cancer patients can apply for subsidies or get help raising drug funds and easing the financial burden. When savings fall short and you would rather not borrow from relatives and friends, beyond paying by card at the hospital you can also evaluate short-term funding options or split a large drug bill into smaller installments paid over time:

#When assessing which funding options they qualify for, cancer patients need to weigh not only their own repayment capacity but also the risks and interest rates of each option, in order to choose the lowest-rate, best-protected way to raise funds.

A3: For cancer patients facing medical bills, paying by card at the hospital is not the only installment option. While some patients have received card rewards on hospital payments, most credit card programs actually exclude medical expenses from their rewards schemes. Moreover, although hospital card payments are one installment option, failing to pay the monthly statement in full triggers revolving interest — and paying large drug bills that way over the long term can trap you in medical credit card debt.

To avoid medical card debt, cancer patients can look for lower-interest, more stable payment methods for large medical expenses. Beyond weighing interest rates and loan risks, assess your own repayment capacity to make sure the payment plan fits your finances. Here are the installment options available:

#The simplest option — paying by card at the hospital — may earn you no rewards and turn out to be the most expensive way to pay in installments. We recommend choosing lower-interest, more stable installment options such as "Drug Installment," so your finances stay healthy while you focus on getting well.