Oregon decides Medicaid patients will not be treated for cancer in most cases

Oregon.gov ^ | 1/10/2013 | Oregon "Health Evidence Review Commission"

[StacyinGA]

Oregon has decided that its Medicaid program will not cover cancer treatments for the following individuals:

Health Evidence Review Commission January 10, 2013 (page 128 of PDF file)

Treatment with intent to prolong survival is not a covered service for patients with any of the following:

Median survival of less than 6 months with or without treatment, as supported by the best available published evidence
Median survival with treatment of 6-12 months when the treatment is expected to improve median survival by less than 50%, as supported by the best available published evidence
Median survival with treatment of more than 12 months when the treatment is expected to improve median survival by less than 30%, as supported by the best available published evidence
Poor prognosis with treatment, due to limited physical reserve or the ability to withstand treatment regimen, as indicated by low performance status

(snip)

The Health Evidence Review Commission is reluctant to place a strict $/QALY (quality adjusted life-year) or $/LYS (life-year saved) requirement on end-of-life treatments, as such measurements are only approximations and cannot take into account all of the merits of an individual case. However, cost must be taken into consideration when considering treatment options near the end of life. For example, in no instance can it be justified to spend $100,000 in public resources to increase an individual’s expected survival by three months when hundreds of thousands of Oregonians are without any form of health insurance.

[StacyinGA]

So much for Obama's claim that the Medicaid Expansion would "save lives."

Here's the death panel, coming soon to a state near you.

[mojito]

How about them Death Panels!

[Doogle]

"toldcha"

[tennmountainman]

Yep. Death panels are here. First it’s cancer patients. Then it’s heart patients. Then patients with diabetes.

[D_Idaho]

Yes, well, here it comes.

[showme_the_Glory]

Euthanasia was already legal in Orygun, right? Do it yourself or let Zer0.

[Alex Murphy]

Ping for later

[StacyinGA]

The same report specifies how often a diabetes patient may check their blood sugar: three times a day.

Do a search on the PDF file, you’ll find it.

This struck me because their limits apply to a LOT of cancers.

[ChildOfThe60s]

The NHS is refusing to treat smokers for unrelated conditions. One case the man needed a skin cancer removed. NHS said no unless he quit smoking.

Gonna happen here.

[BuckeyeTexan]

This is the first nail in the Obamacare coffin. Cancer affects everyone in some way. Everyone has a loved one, close friend, or co-worker who has/had cancer.

When people begin to understand that their loved ones may be denied the opportunity to live longer, they’ll start screaming.

[jsanders2001]

They have to budget or important things...you know like ‘medical’ marijuana. They can’t be bothered with all those old farts when they have marijuana fields to tend....

[SeminoleCounty]

This plan will be for whites only....the Black KKK and Hispanic KKK will definitely make sure their race groups are treated

[USNBandit]

For example, in no instance can it be justified to spend $100,000 in public resources to increase an individual’s expected survival by three months when hundreds of thousands of Oregonians are without any form of health insurance.

Since most people on ACA coverage will receive govt subsidies, it is only a matter of time before this happens to a lot more people.

[yawningotter]

I know someone who has been battling Pancreatic cancer for over two years, and is currently slowly making progress using newer treatments. According to the information I have seen, pancreatic cancer usually falls in that 6-12 month “median survival” window. Would such a patient be eligible for treatment in Oregon under these new rules since they are outside the median survival window?

[Night Hides Not]

Then patients with diabetes.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 a year ago. My doctor recommended I follow the guidance in this book:

I was off metformin after the first followup, and my blood glucose readings are rarely above 110 (84 this morning). HbA1c went from 11 to 4.6 from initial diagnosis to 90 follow up. Last reading two months ago was 5.0.

Next step is to lower my cholesterol further, and get off Crestor.

[sakic]

I imagine it would depend on the type of pancreatic cancer they have.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Medically, I don’t see much wrong in this. Medical treatment for the poor is always just “adequate”. For example, if you have a big cavity, Medicaid dentists will often not bother to fill it, when pulling it is cheap, fast, doesn’t diminish quality of life except cosmetically, and lets them deal with the next patient faster.

On the plus side, a huge amount of research is going into cancer these days, and treatment is moving away from hyper expensive chemotherapy that just slows cancer down, to treatments that wipe it out entirely.

So spending $100,000 of public money on someone to extend their life by 3 or six months is becoming less an issue, than say spending $50,000 to make someone cancer-free, maybe extending their life by 20 or more years.

[GeronL]

they are also renaming some cancer to IDLE

[JimSEA]

There is an random thought in the back of my mind that says, “Let Obamacare funding go through so people can see just how bad it really is.”

Then I think, “No, the NHS is a disaster for UK but there is no real movement to dismantle it.”

[Hepsabeth]

Is this person with Pancreatic Cancer on Medicaid?