Study: Cost of hospital parking overlooked burden for cancer patients

A study released this week found that an often overlooked burden for patients seeking cancer treatment is the ongoing cost of parking (Source: “Cancer patients endure an overlooked financial burden: hospital parking fees,” Stat News, Dec. 7).

A new paper in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences found that the charges are actually eating into patients’ financial well-being, particularly for people who have cancer and have to make frequent visits to the hospital for treatments like radiation and chemotherapy.

Other research in the U.S. has similarly found hospital parking prices contribute to what’s known as “financial toxicity” — the idea that having a serious illness like cancer is stressful and costly on its own, and only made worse when people may have to cope with other expenses like travel while potentially missing work and losing income.

Many community hospitals in rural and suburban areas of the U.S. don’t charge anything for parking. But if people need or want more specialized care in a larger city, where parking is more scarce, they often will encounter some kind of parking fee. And if a loved one is stuck in the hospital for days, weeks, or months, hospitals can saddle families and visitors with hundreds if not thousands of dollars in parking costs.