Medicare to pay for some cancer, other drugs

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Medicare to pay for some cancer, other drugs

Last Updated: 2004-06-25 9:48:59 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will pay for some cancer,

multiple sclerosis and other medicines for 50,000 Medicare patients who

otherwise would not have coverage until 2006, health officials said on

Thursday.

Medicare will spend $500 million through 2005 on oral cancer drugs and

other medications that elderly and disabled patients can take at home,

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy said. Many of

the medicines cost thousands of dollars a year.

" We are providing seniors and persons with disabilities suffering from

some of the most debilitating diseases with some interim help in paying

for their medicines, " said.

For example, Novartis AG's cancer treatment Gleevec costs about $45,952

per year. Patients who receive assistance through the new Medicare

project would pay $5,298, HHS said. Low-income patients would save even

more.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program that covers 41 million

elderly and disabled Americans.

Currently cancer patients and others receive Medicare drug coverage only

for chemotherapy and other medicines administered in a doctor's office.

Patient groups, including the American Cancer Society and The Seniors

Coalition, lobbied for coverage of new oral, cancer-fighting medicines

before full Medicare drug coverage starts in 2006. The program was

mandated by the Medicare law enacted last year.

About $200 million will cover cancer care. The rest will pay for

treatments for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary

hypertension and other serious, chronic ailments.

Some of the drugs include AstraZeneca Plc's lung cancer pill Iressa,

Actelion's pulmonary hypertension therapy Tracleer and Amgen Inc.'s

Enbrel for rheumatoid arthritis.

Applications will be accepted through September 30, but more than 50,000

are expected, said Mark McClellan, who heads the agency that runs

Medicare.

Participants would then be randomly selected, drawing equally from

cancer and non-cancer patients, he said.

TrailBlazer Health Enterprises will oversee the application process and

Caremark RX Inc. will administer actual benefits, McClellan said.

Some patient advocates have said many more people need financial help,

particularly as prices for cancer drugs and other therapies soar.

In a letter to McClellan in April, American Cancer Society officials

urged him to expand the benefit " as much as possible " to avoid possible

" exclusions that will erode cancer coverage when (the full Medicare

benefit) is implemented. "

(Additional reporting by Richwine in Washington, D.C.)

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org