Access to care in cancer: Barriers and challenges.

33Background: In the current climate of health care reimbursement, coverage reform, and escalating health care costs, navigating cancer care becomes increasingly complex for patients and caregivers. Given the truly fluid marketplace and many payment and care models being established sans engagement with or even information from the patient, it is imperative to assess the ongoing reality of patient access to comprehensive, quality cancer care: care that includes biomedical as well as psychosocial care. Methods: We launched an online research survey project to further explore the cancer patient experience as it relates to accessing health care and living within a new and evolving system of health care. The analysis is based upon a cross-sectional survey of adults (18 years old and older) affected by cancer. The survey was conducted online between June and August of 2016. 1,218 cancer survivors completed survey questions regarding access to insurance, services, and providers as well as direct and indirect co...