Just got this email
Brotherhood of the Balloon - Special Call to Action
Help preserve proton therapy in IL, MT, NM, OK and TX Deadline: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2014
Please act before MONDAY, September 1, 2014
You can make a difference!
Dear BOB Members:
There is an important step you can take to help others (including family members and friends) who could benefit from proton therapy in the future. It will only take a few minutes. Time is of the essence, so we need your help today.
Directions for helping in this effort are at the bottom of this message.
BCBS in 5 States Plan to Stop Covering Proton for Prostate Cancer
There is a real and serious threat to the future of proton therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) is the largest customer-owned health insurance company in the United States. Their subsidiaries include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Roughly 1,000 of our members, or 14%, live in these states.
HCSC is proposing to change their policy and stop paying for proton therapy for prostate cancer beginning on January 1, 2015. The reason, they state, is that "clinical outcomes have not demonstrated this modality (proton) as superior to, or more effective than, established less costly radiotherapy modalities."
We Who Have Had Proton Treatment Understand the Benefits
The fact is, the laws of physics and science point to proton being superior to other forms of radiation therapy because most of the proton radiation is deposited on the target tumor and not on healthy tissue. This means the patient can expect fewer side effects and a low probability of secondary cancers later in life.
Studies comparing proton therapy to conventional radiation on many tumor sites, other than prostates, show significant benefits in terms of cure rates and minimizing the risk of secondary cancers. We should expect the same to be true when treating prostates.
Surveys conducted on former prostate cancer proton patients, including one done earlier this year, showed extremely high cure rates and very low rates of side effects.
Clinical studies comparing proton therapy to other radiotherapy options are either ongoing or are planned. Other clinical trials are underway to reduce the cost of proton therapy. We need to encourage private insurers like HCSC to continue covering proton therapy for prostate cancer while these trials are underway.
Here's How You Can Help
There is an
open comment period on this proposed policy change which ENDS THIS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2014. If you object to HCSC's proposed policy change that would affect Blue Cross Blue Shield patients in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, please send your comments to HCSC BEFORE MONDAY.
Your response does not have to be long or complicated. Just tell them about
your experience of proton therapy and your quality of life after treatment, and ask them to continue covering proton therapy so that others will have the opportunity to benefit from a treatment that both cures cancer and preserves quality of life.
Directions for Sending Your Comments
Click here to post your comment.
Click the "I agree" button at the bottom of the Medical Policies statement.
Click "Draft Policies."
Click "Charged-Particle (Proton and Helium Ion) Radiation Therapy."
Click "Comment on this Policy" (right side of page).
Enter your name and email address (required).
The following fields are OPTIONAL: Specialty, state, and phone.
For those of you who are in the medical field, you can likely find your specialty in the Specialty menu. If you are not in the medical field, leave this field blank, or choose "Mixed Group" at the bottom of the pull-down menu.
Add your note in the "Comments" field and be sure to let them know you disagree with the proposed policy change and request they continue covering proton therapy for prostate cancer.
Click "Submit."
Your action here is very important. If these Blue Cross companies deny proton coverage for prostate cancer, other insurers will likely follow. We cannot allow this to happen. Our family members, friends, and others must have access to proton therapy in the future.
Please send your comments to HCSC BEFORE THIS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. The comment period ends at the end of the day.
If you happen to
open this email after September 1, 2014, I encourage you to send in your comments anyway. It's possible that comments that come in after the deadline will be taken into consideration as they finalize their policy decision.
Thank you in advance for taking this action. We must work together to prevent this proposed policy change. The more of us who respond, the greater will be the chance we can turn this around.
Bob Marckini
PS: If you have any questions or are having difficulty providing a response to HCSC, contact Deb Hickey at
[email protected] or Becky Campbell at
[email protected] .