- Center on Health Equity and Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Dr Marianne Fazen Explains How Coverage Decisions Factor Into Cancer Treatment Costs
There are more costs involved in cancer treatment than just the price of the drugs, said Marianne Fazen, PhD, president and CEO of the Texas Business Group on Health. The process of selecting the right treatment also factors into spending, so it is important for patients to get a second opinion.
There are more costs involved in cancer treatment than just the price of the drugs, said Marianne Fazen, PhD, president and CEO of the Texas Business Group on Health. The process of selecting the right treatment also factors into spending, so it is important for patients to get a second opinion.
Transcript (slightly modified)
What causes the biggest strain on healthcare spending when it comes to oncology: healthcare services or drug costs?
It isn’t only the spending, it’s mainly the specialty drugs. That’s the high cost of the treatment, the chemotherapy, but there’s a host of other issues that are costs that are involved besides just the $1000 or $1200 a month treatment that the patient requires.
It’s also coverage decisions: is it the most appropriate, the right drug or treatment for that particular patient, or are we just going through trial and error and testing to see, okay, we’ll try this because we usually try this with this patient. But maybe it’s not the right one, and so they have to go through all that emotional trauma of having to try the wrong medicine until they get to the right one. So genetic testing or even getting a second opinion is really important.
There’s another challenge that employers face, and not many employers know about second opinions and don’t cover second opinions.
Dr Kathryn Lindley Explains the Importance of Cardio-Obstetrics in Fellowship Programs
December 5th 2023Kathryn Lindley, MD, FACC, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, talks about why it’s important to incorporate cardio-obstetrics training into cardiovascular disease fellowship programs.
Read More
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
Listen
Gaps in Access to Cancer Care Resources May Contribute to Racial, Ethnic Disparities
December 1st 2023Researchers found that core oncology services were less likely to be available at hospitals serving racial and ethnic minority groups compared with other hospitals in the United States.
Read More
What We’re Reading: ChatGPT in Health Care; Menthol Ban Meeting; Health System Cyberattack Impact
November 30th 2023ChatGPT is changing health care while also raising questions about artificial intelligence's promises and limitations; 24 Biden officials met with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives to discuss the FDA’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes; a recent hospital cyberattack shows how the vulnerability of health care systems can put patients at risk.
Read More
