Tuesday § February 9, 2010
Insurer’s Denial of Cancer Treatment Highlights Continued Need for Reform in This Area
A year ago, this blog cited a study which detailed the difficulties cancer patients faced when navigating the byzantine nature of health plans which essentially made it difficult, if not impossible, to receive life-saving treatments. The paper [PDF] went on to describe the problems these patients would still face even when eligibility requirements for government assistance via Medicare or Medicaid were at least partially met.
Either through ignorance of policyholders’ plans limitations or via the inability for their out-of-pocket costs to cover the difference, cancer patients have continued to face significant challenges in accessing crucial care. The verdict may still be out on the finer points of President Obama’s goals for reform, but Insurance does not really seem to be waiting for his signature on legislation to react.
With respect to one insurer, news comes of a cancer patient’s current fight to obtain treatment oncologists thought could save his life. Relapsing neuroblastoma has sidelined a five year-old’s life right now; his insurer has refused a new treatment option it deems as expiremental — in spite of covering a cheaper treatment in 2007 that was also called such, resulting in a full remission. The child’s parents are suing the carrier.
Advocates for insurance reform have taken a backseat in the reform debate, which is not surprising. Although, Obama has described his reform plans are not a referendum on reform of Insurance in a strict sense, it is apparent that sound arguments based upon solutions in the way coverage is paid and delivered need to transcend the rather simple promise of non-discrimination based upon claims denials.
Related Posts Within Doctor Pundit:
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- NEJM Study Highlights Daily Administrative Hassles of Primary Care Physicians A study out this week [PDF] in the NEJM highlights...
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