In Community Practice: Balancing Between ‘Rational’ and ‘Rationed’ Care
Clinical Oncology News
Independent News for the Oncologist and Hematologist/Oncologist
Some excerpts here:
“Washington—Balancing personalized cancer care with the need to lower health care costs relies on a number of factors, including thinking rationally about cancer treatments, better educating patients about their options, and educating payers, said a panel of oncology experts at the Association of Community Cancer Centers’ (ACCC) national meeting.”
“There are a few theories about how to reduce spending on oncology, said Peter Bach, MD, the director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. One is to shift the risk for discretionary spending to oncologists. A payer would provide an oncologist with a lump-sum payment to cover all costs for a typical patient with breast cancer, for example, and the oncologist would then be responsible for achieving high-quality care without overspending.”
“Another theory calls for removing physicians’ financial incentive to spend health care dollars.”
“A third idea, being employed at his hospital, is to make treatment decisions piece by piece while considering cost, Dr. Bach said. For example, Memorial Sloan-Kettering decided not to stock the drug ziv-aflibercept (Zaltrap, Sanofi/ Regeneron) in its formulary for patients with advanced colorectal cancer because it was more than twice the price of a similar medicine, Bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech/Roche).”
“Patients tend to get “emotionally stuck in a place where they cannot make a rational decision,” Mr. Cohen said, and tends to choose the most expensive treatment, the one that will extend their lives for a short time or have the fewest side effects, without perspective.”
http://www.clinicaloncology.com/ViewArt ... a_id=24625
***”Payer” refers to insurance companies
After reading the ENTIRE article, I came away a little perturbed. Am I off base? Without PERSPECTIVE…..Did they just call us stupid???? Uninformed my butt! I’m reading some of the same publications you “GODS” are and I am a mere mortal! Emotional….YES it IS MY husband I’m considering, but again I am NOT STUPID! AND by the way DR…… how much DID you make on the drugs you prescribed for my hubby????
This is not the FIRST article I have read discussing the new protocols, and cost factors associated coming down the pike for Clinical Trials. Plus it will be a COLD day in you know where, before I let the insurance company tell us what my hubby can and cannot try if there is a decent shot it will work & he is ready, willing and able. I will meet them in the parking lot with a Louisville slugger and my hubby’s name in Glitter & sequins on its side!
Wife of Mike,
Vicki