Healthcare: Keep options open for cancer survivors

I’m lucky to be a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor because my first rounds of treatment didn’t work. But because of medical innovations, my healthcare team in Washington, my will to fight and the support of my family and friends, I’m in remission.

Our healthcare system is broken, and there are several policy ideas floating around Washington D.C., about how best to fix it. One I’m most concerned about is government price setting, which would tie domestic US formularies to what’s accessible in other countries.

While the intention is good, the reality is that patients might not be able to access the medication their doctor prescribes for them – particularly for new medical innovations that fight complex illnesses like cancer.

Having first-hand experience with new therapeutics, I would be extremely concerned that other patients who are diagnosed with cancer might not have access to those same treatments.

Additionally, many cancer survivors are highly susceptible to recurrence or to other forms of cancer. Not having access to cutting-edge treatments can mean the difference between life and death.

We cannot fix one life-threatening problem by creating another.

This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Healthcare: Keep options open for cancer survivors."