Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Health Insurance Inequities: pills vs intravenous

I was on Revlimid last spring, but I almost wasn't, because the DieSuckah Health Insurance Company didn't want to pay for it. (Details here.) They finally agreed to, after three refusals. It's a bad, bad system we have, highlighted in a recent NY Times article and OpEd. But there's hope:

"Oregon, partly in response to Mr. Stauffer’s case, has passed a law requiring insurance companies to provide equivalent coverage of oral and intravenous cancer drugs. Some other states are now considering similar measures."
Ill Patients forced to Pay for Cancer Pills - NY Times

and a follow-up Opinion with some excellent comments:
The Sky-High Cost of Treating Cancer - NY Times

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