Private oncologists are being forced to sell or close their practices because insurers have severely reduced payments to them and because the drugs they prescribe patients are now so expensive, reports The New York Times.

For one cancer specialist, payments had gotten so low that the only way he could have stayed independent was to work for free. However, when a doctor is affiliated with a hospital, patients end up paying more out of pocket, and many cancer patients receive multiple drugs, according to the article.

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