NCT06771739

A Pilot Unrestricted Payment Program for Early-stage Cancer Patients: the PAYMENT Trial

Preventing Financial Adversity Among Early-Stage Cancer Patients Through Unrestricted Cash (PAYMENT) Pilot Study

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This clinical trial studies whether an unrestricted cash payment program can be used to improve financial and clinical outcomes in early-stage cancer patients with financial concerns. A cancer diagnosis can have poor financial outcomes, and the cost of cancer treatment can lead to high medical debt and financial hardships for the patient and family. Financial hardship during cancer treatment is associated with adverse outcomes including poorer quality of life, lower treatment compliance, more aggressive use of hospital-based care, and worse survival. Newly diagnosed cancer patients with financial concerns may avoid treatment entirely so that they can continue to work and maintain income, provide for their families, or pay rent. An unrestricted cash payment program provides patients with a preloaded cash card once monthly. The patients can choose what to use the card to pay for and may include items like food, rent, or utilities. This provides a period of guaranteed income for the patients and may prevent them from falling into poverty and improve financial and clinical outcomes.

Detailed description

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM A: Patients receive a $1000 preloaded cash card once monthly for 3 months. ARM B: Patients receive a $100 preloaded cash card once monthly for 3 months. After completion of study intervention, patients are followed up 3 months and 6 months post randomization.

Conditions

• Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Electronic Health Record Review	Ancillary studies
OTHER	Interview	Ancillary studies
OTHER	Support	Receive $1000 preloaded cash card
OTHER	Support	Receive $100 preloaded cash card
OTHER	Survey Administration	Ancillary studies

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-05-01
• Primary completion: 2026-06-30
• Completion: 2026-06-30
• First posted: 2025-01-13
• Last updated: 2026-03-13

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States