Sequestration pain for cancer patients

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ORIENT: Sequestration pain for cancer patients
 
Drug-payment cuts could jeopardize survival

Thursday, March 28, 2013
 
White House tours may be the focus of attention, but the most brutal effect of sequestration may fall on cancer patients. The administration isn’t mentioning this one.
 
As of April 1, the allowable charge for cancer chemotherapy drugs will be cut by 1.7 percent, so independent oncologists will not be able to charge enough to cover the cost of administering many expensive but lifesaving drugs. Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients could have their treatment disrupted.
 
This is happening under President Obama, who promised Americans that “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” It’s happening at the same time that advocates of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion are trotting out hard-luck stories of cancer patients who lose their insurance in the midst of treatment. Medicare patients, of course, aren’t losing their insurance — just their ability to get the care they need from the doctor they trust.

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