[Acceptance of the disease and tendency to pay higher health insurance fee by patients with lung cancer].

INTRODUCTION

Thanks to knowledge on the relationship between acceptance of disease and the willingness to co-pay for treatment in patients with lung cancer we can try to assess whether their introduction would be justified and acceptable.

THE AIM

The purpose of the study was to examine the propensity of patients with lung cancer to pay higher rate of health insurance depending on their acceptance of the disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in 2016 at the Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz and the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Pulmonology Center in Bydgoszcz. The study involved the same group of 87 patients before and after surgery because of lung cancer. The original questionnaire and the Acceptance of Illness Scale were used in the study.

RESULTS

Men accounted for 75% of the respondents, 65% of them were 50-69 years old. Before the surgery 34 (39.1%) patients stated that they are willing to pay a higher rate for health insurance, and 65 (74.7%) patients after the surgery (p <0.001). Among the 34 (39%) patients who were willing to pay a higher premium, before the surgery the most of them 21 (61.8%) by 10% higher, while least 2 (5.9%) by 100% higher. In contrast, after the surgery among the 65 (74.7%) patients 30 (46.2%) expressed a willingness to pay premiums by 10%, while the lowest 9 (13.8%) by 25% higher. Before the surgery 34 patients were willing to pay health insurance by 26% higheron average while 65 patients had an average increase of 36.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with lower acceptance of the disease, living in the city, with secondary education and undergone surgeryare more likely to pay higher health insurance. More than half of the patients with lower acceptance of the disease are willing to pay higher premiums on health insurance by an average of 36%.