Posted on 07/03/2010 1:22:15 PM PDT by SueRae
On THursday, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Service (CMD) announced that they will be conducting a review to determine national medicare coverage for a newly FDA approved treatment for late stage prostate cancer. http://www.cms.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?from2=viewtrackingsheet.asp&id=247&
Provenge is the first of its kind, an immunotheray that is designed to harness a pateient's immune system to battle prostate cancer. The FDA approved drug costs $93,000 for a series of three infusions and THAT IS IT. The only other treatment approved is Taxotere, a chemotherapy, with side effects so toxic that many men refuse treatment. While the price tag for Provenge is high, consider the costs of Taxotere, the lenght of treatment, companion medications for side effects, repeated doctor visits, test, hosptialization and quality of life, Provenge is comaparably priced. So now we have a review by CMS bureaucrats who will decide whether Medicare will cover this treatment nationally for an indication that affects primarily elderly men.
Sounds like a "Death panel" review to me. I've witten to Congressman Paul Ryan who is a member of the Republican committee on Health care. Please read and forward to your representatives and senators. This is an election year, if we don't get their attention now, we never will.
As Mark Steyn pointed out, once a nation passes national health care, all future elections will be fraught with medical care spending issues. Unprotected (or un-PC favored) minorities will be tossed over if their medical care expenses become “too much”.
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