Oral Chemo Still Too Expensive Even after Doughnut Hole Closes
Oral Chemo Still Too Expensive Even after Doughnut Hole Closes
Oral chemotherapy drugs are so expensive that they will be out of the financial reach of most Medicare patients even when the Part D doughnut hole closes in 2020, according to new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Dec. 7, 2015) — Access to expensive oral chemotherapy drugs will still be out of reach for millions of Americans with Medicare coverage, even when one of the most touted reforms in health care coverage takes place in 2020. The analysis, which assesses out-of-pocket health care costs for cancer patients after the Medicare Part D doughnut hole (or coverage gap) closes, shows with unprecedented clarity that the financial burden for prescription drugs for many cancer patients will still be too high – in some cases, up to one-third of their household budget.
