You may have read or heard--Texas Cancer group claiming to conquer Cancer in next 10 years.So did President Nixon in 1972.
Pharmacyclics Inc. announced failed results. Read, disppointing data.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/pharmacyclics-slumps-disappointing-study-data-163426635.html
Company after company is trying--but results after results are disappointing. Successful Results from a few companies like Medivation only prolong life by a few years at best. Risk/Reward is not great.
I was personally involved in research at the Cleveland Clinic in 1999-2002 for Biomarkers to detect cancer early. That type of efforts have better Cost-Benefit results.
I think we need to push for Early Detection research.
The problem for early detection is that our payment system favors getting cancer—not for screening CT Scans.
If cancer is detected—and costs are half a million dollars—then insurance is willing to pay.
Recent example: The superstorm in the northeastern part of USA.
Three spruce trees fell on my parents' house, where I spent my first 25 years of life.
They have three more spruce trees that got bent-loosened from foundation. They want to remove them before another wind storm. Insurance said,"They have not fallen on the house yet. So we won't pay for removal."
The night of Monday, Oct. 28, was restless for my parents. Live electric wires fell 9 inches away from home. Wind blowing, thee tree still not fallen but shaking badly. My father peaked every 10 minutes—planning a fire drill escape from a window for 9-10 hours, until 6 a.m. when winds went down.
Even under such a situation, insurance says let the trees fall on the house, then we will pay. What a crazy logic?
Same crazy logic is true for cancer.
There will be tons of publicity in the media for someone denied cancer coverage. But if someone wants colonoscopy at age 40, insurance won't pay unless the gastroenterologist can convince Insurance that this person has problems/symptoms/genes-that requires Colonoscopy at early age.
So if you are cancer advocate, convince insurance to relax rules for screening for colon or CT Scans for brain or lungs or other areas.
Tarun Mullick,MD, Therapeutic-Interventional Gastroenterologist
3:59 pm on Monday, November 12, 2012
Starting in 2013,Guthrie Health Care or Guthrie Clinic is offering 200$ rebate on their Health Insurance costs if they take part in activities and actions to Prevent them from getting seriously ill. Here are a few action steps.
1) Get Flu Shot
2)Give up smoking
3) Get Colonoscopy
Now some employers are taking actions to control health care costs.
Tarun Mullick,MD, Therapeutic-Interventional Gastroenterologist
8:46 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
HEALTH CARE COSTS will GO DOWN if there were incentives for Cancer Screening and Annual Checks.
Medicare provides for Cancer Screening and yearly physical.However there is NO differentiation between people who avail of Prevention Counselling.It is left to an individual to decide.
So if some one gets Colon Cancer because they did not get prevention screening,then Medicare ends up paying--BUT READ FINEPRINT;
Colon Cancer could cost 500.000$--- You may end up paying part of it yourself.
To minimize chance of some these cancers--like Colon Cancer--Medicare could charge less for people who go for screening--like 10$/month less premium.
Medicare and other insurances could follow Guthrie Clinic's example by charging 10$/month less premium.
AARP Driver Safety Program is very effective--most of the drivers take it--BECAUSE it reduces Auto Insurance premium.
HEALTH CARE COSTS WILL GO DOWN--only if there were incentives for Cancer Screening and annual checkups.