Surgical Procedures For Skin Cancer Via Medicare Examined
According to an evaluation of Medicare beneficiaries, there has been a significant increase in surgical treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), from 2001 until 2006. The study, published in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology, states that the increase is primarily due to a doubling in the rate of Mohs micrographic surgery procedures. According to background information in the study, each year, over 3 million NMSCs are diagnosed in the U.S. Treatment options vary from surgical excision to Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), which involves examining 100% of the surgical margin during the procedure.
During Medicare Coverage Gaps, Patients Often Stop Taking Heart Drugs
Patients who paid for heart medications solely through Medicare were 57 percent more likely to not take them during coverage gaps compared to those who had a Part D low-income subsidy or additional insurance, according to research published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. Neither group was more likely to switch to other drugs during coverage gaps. "Rather than prompting patients to switch to lower-cost alternatives, we found that sudden exposure to 100 percent of drug costs in the Part D coverage gap led to abrupt discontinuation of essential cardiovascular medications, " said Jennifer M.
Lung Cancer Screening As An Insurance Benefit Would Save Lives At A Relatively Low Cost
Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, lung cancer causes more than 150, 000 deaths annually and has a survival rate of 16 percent. More Americans die of lung cancer each year than of cervical, breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Currently, cancer screening - checking people for cancers or pre-cancers before symptoms appear - is widely supported for breast (mammography), colorectal (colonoscopy and other techniques) and cervical (Pap smears) cancers.