Medicare and cancer
A cancer diagnosis turns Medicare from paperwork into arithmetic that actually matters. This section explains what your coverage pays for, what a treatment year is likely to cost, and what to do when a plan says no — without telling you which plan to buy, because that is not our call and we are not paid to make it.
The 2026 numbers worth knowing
$202.90a month
Standard Part B premium
$2,100a year
Cap on what you pay for covered prescription drugs
No limit
What Original Medicare caps your medical costs at, on its own
Work through your own situation
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Work out what a year costs you
Enter your coverage and see two numbers: what you pay before using any care, and the most you could pay in a heavy treatment year.
Check your oncologist is covered
A checklist for everyone who bills separately for your care — oncologist, infusion center, pathology lab — with the script for the phone call.
Sort out your medicines
Build your medication list and find out which part of Medicare pays for each one, and what your plan will require first.
Choose between plans
Nine steps through Medicare's official plan finder, in the order that matters when you are in treatment.
Compare your shortlist side by side
A worksheet for holding up to three plans against each other on the rows that decide a cancer year.
Find help paying
Extra Help, Medicare Savings Programs, and the charities that pay copays — with the current 2026 income limits.
Fight a denial
The three appeal systems, told apart properly, plus a calculator for your filing deadline.
Talk to a free counselor
Every state's Medicare counseling program, with the right phone number and what to bring.
Understand how the coverage works
Does Medicare cover cancer treatment?
What each part covers, and where the gaps are.
Does Medicare cover chemotherapy?
Why an infusion and a pill are paid for completely differently.
Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage?
The trade-off, and the one-way door people do not see coming.
How to compare plans during treatment
What to check that a general plan comparison will not tell you.
Where the official answers live
We explain things. These decide things — use them for anything binding.
- Medicare Plan CompareEvery plan available where you live, with current prices.
- Medicare Care CompareLook up hospitals, hospices, and home health agencies.
- Medicare.gov, or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)Open 24 hours. TTY 1-877-486-2048.
- Find your state's SHIPFree one-on-one counseling from someone who earns no commission.
Talk it through with a Medicare counselor
Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program — trained counselors who sit down with you one-on-one, go through your own medications and doctors, and help you work out what your options actually cost. It is free, it is confidential, and they earn nothing whichever plan you choose. If you only do one thing on this page, do this one.