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Medicare reported this Thursday that it would continue to cover both Avastin for breast cancer and Provenge for prostate cancer. This is despite both drugs' costs and the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) ruling that Avastin was not a viable treatment for breast cancer.
Avastin, created by Genentech, costs about $88,000 per year of treatment. This has frightened women regarding whether their insurers will pay for the drug. Still, Avastin is approved for other cancers, so off-label use remains viable for breast cancer. Now, it seems, Medicare recipients do not have to worry.
Medicare just undertook a "national coverage determination," which examines the merits of a drug for coverage, for Provenge, a drug made by Dendreon for $93,000 a year for one patient's treatment. Medicare has determined that Provenge is beneficial for patients suffering from prostate cancer and will be covered.
Some who were against Provenge's national coverage determination and some who are against the FDA's probe of Avastin have expressed worries of rationing because of the cost of the two drugs. Both Medicare and the FDA have denied this charge.
On the private end, the New York Times seemed confident that United Healthcare would continue covering Avastin off-label for breast cancer patients. WellPoint, Cigna, and Health Care Service Corporation will wait to hear the FDA's final pronouncement on July 28.
If you would like more information about how medical malpractice work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website http://www.oginski-law.com. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
Read More About Breast and Prostate Cancer Drugs Remain Covered by Medicare...
