Emma was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The financial pressures were worse
When Sydney woman Emma Timmony was diagnosed with a terminal cancer, she knew the road ahead would be tough.
But when she started to add up the costs of her treatment, the situation was even more daunting.
Emma Timmony and her husband Sean. Supplied
The former operations manager was diagnosed with stage four diffuse large-B cell lymphoma in 2023.
She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, which put her in remission for about five months, until the cancer returned.
The 43-year-old was forced to retire early due to the diagnosis and her husband Sean stepped away from his job to care for her.
“When you’re used to having money in your account and being able to function, then you have no money, life gets harder,” she said.
“How do you eat? How do you pay your bills?”
Timmony is now in the process of applying for a terminal illness pension.
“I worked hard, had a good career and expected my superannuation to support me in retirement, not to be living off it in my early 40s because I have cancer,” she said.
“I haven’t been able to access pensions or government benefits because we live on more than five acres of land.
“You never imagine that when you’re this sick, you’ll also have to worry about how you’re going to pay the bills and keep yourself financially afloat.
“I’m lucky that we have the medical system that exists, but not everything is free for cancer patients.”
Timmony is one of nearly 1.7 million Australians currently living with or beyond cancer in Australia.
Emma underwent chemotherapy, which put her in remission for about five months. Supplied
According to the Daffodil Centre, that number is set to rise by more than half to more than 2.6 million people by 2050.
Of those, 1.15 million will still be living with cancer requiring ongoing treatment, monitoring or care.
As the number of Australians living with cancer grows, experts are pushing for adequate systems to support people with cancer.
Naveena Nekkalapudi has also faced the health and financial challenges of cancer.
The Melbourne woman was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2014 at the age of 39.
After her diagnosis, she found herself navigating uncertainty and unexpected expenses.
“I was initially quoted $600 out of pocket for surgery, which was the first step in the process,” Nekkalapudi said.
Naveena Nekkalapudi faced multiple expenses during her breast cancer treatment. Supplied
“To get another quote would probably have cost me another $500.
“The costs kept mounting, and around a year after my initial diagnosis, I had spent approximately $15,000 out-of-pocket.”
When the now 51-year-old’s treatment ended, her expenses continued.
“There were many less obvious expenses that surprised me,” she said.
“Things like scans, medications, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling costs.”
Peak bodies push for more support
The Cancer Council and the Leukaemia Foundation are calling on governments around Australia to do more to support patients and their carers.
A new report from the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, commissioned by Cancer Council Victoria, has exposed a widening gap between the support people with cancer need and what the system actually provides.
Researchers surveyed more than 200 Victorians living with cancer or providing unpaid care.
Every single participant reported out-of-pocket costs; more than 95 per cent reported emotional distress linked to financial hardship.
Almost one in three people with cancer lost income, while nearly two thirds received no government financial support.
Among carers, more than three quarters received no government financial support and almost one in three lost income.
Cancer Council Australia director of cancer control policy David Martin said the findings reflected a system in urgent need of reform.
“A cancer diagnosis should not destroy someone's livelihood,” Martin said.
“It should not come down to whether a person happened to have savings or income protection insurance.
“That is not equitable, and as more Australians live longer with cancer, this problem will only grow."
The Leukaemia Foundation is also highlighting the hidden financial toll of cancer with its Cut the Cost of Cancer campaign.
“Australians facing blood cancer are immediately thrown into a financial storm they never saw coming,” CEO Chris Tanti said.
“They are forced to make impossible financial decisions at a time when their sole focus should be on treatment and recovery.
“No one should ever have to choose between getting the cancer treatment and care they need to survive, and putting food on the table or paying their rent or mortgage.”
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