Oregon health plan covers assisted suicide, not drugs, for cancer patient

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Eugene, Ore., Jun 6, 2008 / 01:09 am (CNA).- An Oregon woman suffering from lung cancer was notified by the state-run Oregon Health Plan that their policy would not cover her life-extending cancer drug, telling her the health plan would cover doctor-assisted suicide instead.

Barbara Wagener discovered her lung cancer had recurred last month, the Register-Guard said. Her oncologist prescribed a drug called Tarceva, which could slow the cancer growth and extend her life.

The Oregon Health Plan notified Wagner that it would not cover the drug, but it would cover palliative care, which it said included assisted suicide.

“Treatment of advanced cancer that is meant to prolong life, or change the course of this disease, is not a covered benefit of the Oregon Health Plan,” said the letter Wagner received from LIPA, the Eugene company that administers the Oregon Health Plan in Lane County.

“I think it’s messed up,” Wagner said. She said she was particularly upset because the letter said doctor-assisted suicide would be covered.

“To say to someone, we’ll pay for you to die, but not pay for you to live, it’s cruel,” she said. “I get angry. Who do they think they are?”

A doctor appealed to Genentech, the company that markets Tarceva in the U.S., to cover Wagner’s medication. On Monday Wagner was told the company would cover the drug treatment for a year, after which she could re-apply for the drug.

“I am just so thrilled,” Wagner said. “I am so relieved and so happy.”

According to the Register-Guard, Oregon oncologists say they have seen a change in state health policy, saying their Oregon Health Plan patients with advanced cancer are no longer covered for chemotherapy if it is considered comfort care.

“It doesn’t adhere to the standards of care set out in the oncology community,” said Dr. John Caton, an oncologist at Willamette Valley Cancer Center. He said many studies have found that chemotherapy in a palliative setting decreases pain and time spent in the hospital and increases quality of life.

Officials of LIPA and the state Health Services Commission, which sets policy for the Oregon Health Plan, say they have not changed their coverage of recurrent cancer patients, but have only clarified the rules.

Comments: 10

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Carol Plumb
Helena, MT 09/12/2009 08:45 AM EST

I find it distressing that Obama keeps saying that their will be no death panels when they already exist in Oregan and in our VA hospital system. (Obama brought back this policy after Bush 2 had gotten rid of it.) I'm not sure I'm against assisted sucide. I can think of several deseases that cause extreme pain and that do not have any quality of life. But, in order to have this we need to make sure that the person actually wants it, and not have it forced on it.

Published by: Ed Silha
Austin, TX, USA 09/03/2009 07:52 AM EST

Ms. Wagner would have had no insurance in other states (her premiums were subsidized). OHP had paid for extensive cancer treatment over the previous three years and was still paying for her care until she died. Ms. Wagner died a short time after starting the Tarceva. In the letter, OHP included a long list of appropriate end-of-life care that would be paid for, including hospice, medical equipment, palliative services, state-of-the-art pain and symptom management and the reminder of the assisted suicide service. Might Wagner have been better off, and perhaps even lived longer, if her doctors had referred her to hospice instead of recommending a drug so toxic and so unlikely to extend her life? Only 8% of advanced lung cancers respond to Tarceva (92% don’t), with a chance to extend life from an average of 4 months to 6 months (average of 12 days per patient). 19 % of patients develop toxic side effects. Based on effectiveness, Oregon Health Plan denied coverage The media juxtaposed denial of Tarceva with coverage for aid in dying in a sensational, emotional manner, suggesting the two were related. It did not bother to mention that similar things happen to people with private insurance. It made for a catchy story ... but not truthful journalism. -- Barbara Coombs Lee 1. The news media (including the WSJ) failed to report the complete story. 2. They turned a story about a success in public health insurance into a horror story about public health insurance (prop

Published by: abhaille
dallas, tx 08/12/2009 12:05 AM EST

Rate: Regular

OMG, how can you dis Obama with this? I'm sure this plan was enacted before he came into office.

The plans are horrible. I don't know what you pay for health care but I pay over $700 a month for poor care for my family. My insurance premium is going up more next month than my teacher raise.

I've taught in an inner city school for 12 years. FIVE of those years I took a negative take home pay because my insurance premium increase was higher than my raise. The coverage has decreased every year that the premium has gone up.

I want universal health care. I want every person in this country to be covered. I would pay some kind of premium to be able to keep my private doctor. I'd be very happy to know that if I didn't that I'd not be slung into the refuse bin.

Published by: jeff James
Frot Collins,co 08/06/2009 04:38 PM EST

This is a firsthand look at what Obama care will be like. Ask yourself will the elderly and people with no one to be their advocates be treated this way. We all must fight back not just for ourselves but for the generations to come.

Published by: Sally
Overland Pk, Ks 05/10/2009 06:57 PM EST

Rate: Regular

I have a daughter & her family who live in France. Their National Health Plan is exceptional! I have used their services and although I paid out of pocket 10 years ago a head CT scan only cost me $150.00! You always see your personal doctor the same day if you are sick. There's no labs in the office, no drugs, no nurses and no bookeeping...every thing goes into a laptop computer which goes directly to the Ministry of Health because there is only one payer...the government. Other specialized services are handled by professionals (x-rays, labwork, pharmacy) and are included in their coverage.
Are our Washinton DC representatives too lazy to find out what sucessful programs are out there or do they want to take the easy way with only failed programs in countries who speak english?

Published by: Bill
Olympia WA 09/29/2008 08:56 PM EST

Washington state is going towards an assisted suicide law as well, actively pushed by our democrat governor and her cronies. Maybe someone should look up a law called Nacht-und-Nebel? Or look at what's going on in Holland? when do we start going to sick people's homes and just killing them off?

Published by: Mary Nurse
U.S. 06/12/2008 12:02 PM EST

I guess many peole will now like to move out of Oregon... just in case they get sick.

Published by: James Swinnen
New Orleans, LA USA 06/06/2008 11:30 AM EST

Welcome to the future. This is what government run health care will be like nationally. Unfortunately it may also be the future for commercial health care insurance. It's a dollars and cents game. The patient's early death costs everyone less than keeping them alive. Next will be age limits or "lifestyle" barriers (smoking and drinking for sure, but not sexual behavior) for organ transplants or major surgeries.

Published by: Stephany Wiley
Weslaco, TX USA 06/06/2008 10:24 AM EST

I fear this is what will happen if the current Domocrat political candidate pushes through his version of "universal health care" and continues toward a socialist agenda. The weak and the "unproductive" will not be sustained in life if the government has gained full control over the
health care of the people in this country.

I am glad this individual was able to obtain the needed medicine. It makes no sense at all that it would not be covered, while assisted suicide is.
Truly, the "culture of death" looms in our society.
Lord, please sustain and enlighten us.

Published by: Brian
Indianapolis, IN, USA 06/06/2008 10:05 AM EST

I cannot accept that plan.

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