Cancer patients with cardiometabolic conditions face higher healthcare costs

Healthcare costs for patients with cancer who also have cardiometabolic conditions have increased since 2012, with a brief decline after 2019 likely tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, and remain higher than costs for patients without these conditions, according to a March 2026 study published in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP).

Rising healthcare costs are a major concern for patients with cancer, especially those managing conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. These additional health conditions are common and can complicate care, which can lead to more intensive treatment, higher use of services and greater overall spending, according to the study.

However, the full impact of these conditions on cost trends after a cancer diagnosis is not as well understood. As of 2020, U.S. cancer care costs were already about $183 billion in 2015 and were projected to reach nearly $246 billion by 2030 as the population ages and more people live with cancer.

Data from a 2025 review also found the pandemic caused significant delays across the cancer care continuum, including reductions in screening, diagnosis and treatment globally. The pandemic disrupted care at the height of 2020, delaying treatment and limiting access. These delays have been linked to worse outcomes and could drive higher costs over time as patients are diagnosed with more advanced disease.

For now, the financial burden of cancer care continues to grow, raising questions about how overlapping conditions and pandemic-related disruptions shape long-term spending.

Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Central Florida conducted this retrospective cohort study using the Merative MarketScan Research Database, a large claims dataset covering roughly 23 million enrollees each year across the U.S. The analysis focused on commercial claims from 2011 to 2021, with annual cohorts of adults newly diagnosed with cancer from 2012 to 2020.

Patients were required to have at least two claims for the same cancer within 90 days and continuous enrollment for one year before and after diagnosis. The year before diagnosis assessed existing cardiometabolic conditions, while the year after measured total healthcare costs.

Costs included inpatient, outpatient, emergency department and pharmacy spending and were adjusted to 2021 dollars. Researchers also accounted for demographics, tumor type and cardiovascular events. Generalized linear models and joinpoint regression were also used to evaluate cost trends and annual percentage changes over time.

Overall, a total of 738,414 patients with newly diagnosed cancer were included. The mean age was 60.5 years and 48.8% were male. Many had cardiometabolic conditions, including hypertension (42.4%), hyperlipidemia (41.5%) and diabetes (14.9%).

Skin cancer was most common, followed by breast and prostate cancer. The mean total healthcare cost in the first year after diagnosis was $32,930, with wide variation.

Costs gradually increased from 2012 to 2018 across all groups, then declined in 2019 and 2020 during the pandemic. Among patients with hypertension, adjusted annual costs increased from $30,702 in 2012 to $41,962 in 2018, before falling to $30,992 in 2020.

Similar patterns were seen for hyperlipidemia and diabetes, as well as for patients with one or more comorbidities. Annual percentage changes showed increases of 5% to 6% before the pandemic, followed by declines of 13% to 15%.

Patients with cardiometabolic conditions consistently had higher costs than those without. For example, costs were 14% to 21% higher for hypertension, 4% to 8% higher for hyperlipidemia and up to 12% higher for diabetes. Costs also increased as the number of comorbidities rose.

Based on methods and results, the study offers a number of strengths, including a large national sample and a decade-long analysis capturing trends before and during the pandemic. It also counts the added cost burden linked to cardiometabolic comorbidities, clarifying their financial impact in cancer care.

However, findings are limited by the use of a private insurance claims database, which may not reflect uninsured or publicly insured populations. Missing clinical details, such as cancer stage and lab data, and reliance on diagnosis codes could lead to misclassification. The study also excludes indirect costs and may underestimate spending by requiring one year of follow-up.

Authors suggest future research examine long-term and lifetime costs and expand data sources. They also highlight the need for integrated care models and greater use of telehealth to reduce costs and prevent care delays.