Why we do not want UHC: Oregon women denied cancer treatment but instead is offered gov't funded assisted suicide

[mwruckman]

Originally Posted by MovingForward

Why not? Do you have a link?

Private insurance companies do not evaluate whether experimental drugs, procedures or courses of treatment are effective and thus available to the medical community. It is done by a government agency called the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). The usually use the experts from another government agency the NIH (National Institutes of Health). Both of these are in Bethesda Maryland. What the insurance companies do is determine if the are considered beat practices.

[mwruckman]

Originally Posted by subsound

Amazing how many people pick this story up without reading the two important facts.

She has a nearly 0% chance even with full treatment.

The oncology drugs and treatments for her condition can run over $10,000 per treatment, the entire regiment for 6 months of treatment would cost $240,000.

I feel sorry for her, but that's enough money to give 1,000 kids clinic treatments and the pharmaceuticals they need. Should we really use it for one person who has a 0% chance to live 6 months with treatment?

Something else needs to be considered. Chemo is simiply administering toxic chemicals with the idea that cancer cells are killed quicker than healthy tissue. It often does real damage to the patient and is rough even on healthier patients. There is a point of no return where the cancer is end stage. It is spread too far and chemo would kill patient before getting the cancer in remission. To fully understand chemo you really have to go through it either as the patient or the care giver.