"Report Finds Billions Lost as Life Saving Drugs Are Found Being Thrown Away"

According to NBC Nightly News and an article by the Associated Press, April 11, 2016, 11:17 am ET "Medicare's Cancer Drug Experiment Annoys Specialists": http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/medicare-s-cancer-drug-experiment-annoys-specialists-n554066.

Cancer saving drugs are being sold at astronomically high costs often with only one or two dosage sizes offered. Depending on a person's size and the dose of the drug needed; there is often additional medication left over, which ends up being thrown away.  The hospitals and medical centers still charge the insurance companies and patients for those pharmaceutical costs.  Medicare is adjusting the cancer drug reimbursement schedule to accommodate these charges and as a result many people will not be able to continue to get their medicines at their local doctor's offices and have to drive great distances to get what they need or they may not be able to afford their life saving treatment any longer.

Something MUST be done!  This is ridiculous.

Cancer statistics are astounding.

According to the National Cancer Institute http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/statistics:

• "In 2016, an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 595,690 people will die from the disease.

• The number of people living beyond a cancer diagnosis reached nearly 14.5 million in 2014 and is expected to rise to almost 19 million by 2024.

• Approximately 39.6 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes (based on 2010-2012 data).

• In 2014, an estimated 15,780 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 were diagnosed with cancer and 1,960 died of the disease.

• National expenditures for cancer care in the United States totaled nearly $125 billion in 2010 and could reach $156 billion in 2020."

                                         (NBC News Article) 

What should we do?  We need to demand change within our government and healthcare system!  This election is critical for ALL of us.

Also make sure you have adequate health insurance.  Besides health insurance, you want to consider Accident/Critical/Disability and, or Cancer insurance to help cover you and your family if you are sick with cancer to cover these drugs and all of the other expenses that come along with not being able to work, having huge medical bills, and often not receiving a paycheck while bills are still coming in.  Help yourself be prepared so you can have peace of mind for situations you do not want to worry about.

Contact:
Stephanie Puryear
Benefits Consultant, Licensed Insurance Broker
Email: spuryear@myhst.com
Phone: (847) 530-8943
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-puryear-a472824b
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SensoryStepsInc
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/spuryearHST/

•