Improving Medication Access

While technology continues to change the nature of medical treatment for serious diseases like cancer, health insurance has not always adapted to ensure patient access to these new therapies. As a result, high out-of-pocket costs often create huge barriers for cancer patients seeking access to the best or only treatment available for them. When confronted with such high out-of-pocket costs, some patients never initiate treatment or discontinue it before their regimen is complete. That’s why LLS is working in several areas to improve access to medication:

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Oral Parity

The way we treat cancer is changing. For decades, intravenous (IV) delivery was the primary method for administering the medications used to treat cancer. But today, more and more cancer medications come in the form of a pill and are taken orally. Typically, cancer medications that are administered intravenously are covered under a health plan’s medical benefit. For many patients, this means having to pay a mod...

Nearly half of cancer patients in Medicare Part D don’t take life...

High upfront, out-of-pocket costs threaten Medicare enrollees who rely on specialty drugs to live healthy, productive lives. Fortunately, the White House and members of Congress from both parties actually agree: We need to cap Medicare Part D costs and let seniors spread their costs throughout the year. Want to help? Send a letter to your members of Congress and let them know the importance of solving this huge ...

Prescription out-of-pocket costs

Thanks to the availability of new and innovative treatments, many diseases that were once considered fatal are now treated as manageable, chronic diseases. But to access those treatments, health plans often require patients to pay thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs, which for many patients is an impossible barrier to overcome. Such high out-of-pocket costs are commonly applied to medications used to trea...

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