Medicare Increases Cancer Drug Coverage

Medicare is now willing to pay for “off-label” cancer drug treatments.  While sure to increase Medicare spending, and cause a certain amount of controversy, Medicare will now pay for treatment using drugs that have received FDA approval – but not for use as a cancer treatment.

“In some instances … the medical community may have scientific
evidence that supports using a drug to treat a disease even if the
drug’s FDA-approved label does not include those clinical conditions,”
Medicare explained in a June 5 news release describing the policy.

Oncologists appear to strongly support the new rules, which went in to effect this past autum.  While “off-label” prescribing has been a standard practice for some time, not all groups are supportive:

“I’m not sure I would say it’s a bad thing, but I think it was
ill-advised and needs to be re-evaluated,” said Steven Findlay, a
health policy analyst for Consumers Union, publishers of Consumer
Reports. “We think it’s better to be cautious. Evidence shows that some
of these drugs extend life by a very small amount and at great cost.”

Medicare notes it is not obligated to pay for the treatments.  Physicians must still provide evidence the treatments are “reasonable and necessary”.

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Fran Drescher Discusses Her Battle With Cancer

Actress Fran Drescher, best remembered for her long running TV series The Nanny, discusses her winning battle against cancer as well as her fight to help others overcome adversity.  courtesy of AARP TV

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