Medicare Coverage, Pricey Cancer Drugs And The ‘Rationing’ Issue
PBS Newshour: Medicare Coverage Of Pricey Cancer Drugs Sparks 'Rationing' DebateAs health care costs play an ever-increasing role in Washington's budget drama, Medicare officials announced last week they will continue to pay for two extremely expensive cancer treatments despite lingering questions about their effectiveness. At a cost of about $88,000 per year, the cancer-fighting Avastin will still be available to eligible senior citizens for breast cancer treatment. The same goes for Provenge, a new "therapeutic vaccine" that boosts the immune system to fight prostate cancer for about $93,000 per course. Even the staunchest number-crunchers are hesitant to argue against effective cancer medications. But in this economic climate, the high costs and limited benefits of the two drugs make them a target for health care analysts on both sides of the health care debate. Given the circumstances, they wonder, can Medicare afford it? (Kane, 7/5). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.