Don’t Pay For Your Fun in the Sun This Summer

By: Kate MacDonald

As Summer 2025 comes to a close, it’s always good to take stock of your favorite memories before moving on to a new season. This might mean doing a commemorative social media post, making a scrap book filled with pictures from a family vacation, or talking to the kids about their favorite activities the night before school starts. But here’s something everyone should be doing: Taking note of whether you got any bad sunburns this summer.

Skin cancer has become the most common kind of cancer in the United States; 6.1 million people are treated each year, with this number growing annually. Skin cancer can affect individuals of any background, no matter their race, age, gender, or genetic makeup, and it can recur once it has already reared its ugly head. It can even pop up if the sun was not the main culprit.

So, what do we know about skin cancer? For starters, there are three main types:

• Basal cell carcinoma: This is the most common type. Basal cell tends not to spread. This type of cancer is often caused by prolonged sun exposure and is found on the skin most commonly exposed to the sun (face, ears, neck, etc.).
• Squamous cell carcinoma: Squamous cell occurs on the top layer of the skin but can spread to other parts of the body. This skin cancer is also found on commonly exposed areas but can also be found in scar tissue and is sometimes due to viruses and ulcers.
• Melanoma: While this is the rarest type, it is also the deadliest and can easily spread. Melanoma is generally caused by extended UV exposure and severe sunburns (specifically for youths), genetics, and a weakened immune system. Again, melanoma typically appears in sun-exposed areas, but this cancer can also lurk in the mucus membranes of the nose, mouth, and eyes.

Dermatologists recommend monthly self-exams all over the body, checking for moles and pigmented spots. They suggest looking for the “ABCDEs” of suspected melanoma: A for asymmetry (one half looks different from the other), B for border (irregular or poorly defined borders), C for color (color variations – tan, black, red, or blue), D for diameter (look for spots larger than a pencil eraser), and E for evolving (changing in shape, size, and color). And doctors suggest that people with more melanin in their skin look at the nails and bottom of the feet, as skin cancer appears more commonly there.

Other signs of skin cancer that people may not expect can include pearl-like bumps; sores that won’t heal; pink, scaly patches; or thicker areas of the skin that bleed or crust.

If, during a self-check, anything seems suspicious, an individual should contact a dermatologist as soon as possible. Plans often cover these types of visits the same as a specialist visit, and many dermatologists employ telehealth services to spot-check potential problem areas. Even if nothing looks off, people can help avoid skin cancer on their own and save themselves and their plans money in the long run.

Some easy ways to reduce the risk are to limit time on indoor tanning beds (direct exposure to the UV lights of tanning beds is one of the biggest contributors to the rising skin cancer rates year-over-year), seek shade while outdoors, wear protective clothing with a UPF rating, apply broad spectrum water-resistant sunscreen (look for one with an SPF of at least 30), and reapply sunscreen at least every two hours (more frequently if sweating or swimming).

Early detection is exceedingly important, not just from a health perspective—but from a financial one as well. The CDC notes that skin cancer treatment costs Americans approximately $9 billion per year in the U.S. Treatment can include freezing off the problem area, surgery, immunotherapy, and prescription drugs, and can cost thousands of dollars per case. However, the type and location of the cancer do factor into the cost.

For example, the average cost of treatment to remove a basil cell carcinoma is estimated to be approximately $300, with insurance, on the low end. That figure, for an individual without health insurance, is calculated at an average of $1,500, signaling that a medical plan can on a significant amount of the cost of the treatment, even for the less invasive skin cancer procedures.

You should also know the hazards and take extra precautions if you’re in a high-risk group. For instance, given that melanoma diagnoses increased by 7.1 percent in 2024, and it rose sharply in women particularly. Moreover, those with fair skin are more likely to develop skin cancer.

Skin cancer can affect anyone. For instance, former President Joe Biden recently underwent cancer extraction and Bob Marley succumbed to cancer that started as melanoma beginning on his toe. Because these types of cancer can affect people from all walks of life, it’s important that people stay vigilant and prepared. This way, individuals can make sure they stay safe, stay financially secure, and safeguard their self-insured plans.