Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minimizing The Stress Of Daunting Medical Bills From Cancer Treatments
You've just been diagnosed with cancer. One of your first questions, after the shock wears off, is most likely: How much could all this cost? The answer may be hard to pin down. Of the almost 1.7 million Americans who will learn they have cancer this year, the "lucky" ones will have a single episode mostly covered by generous insurance. But others may face prolonged illness and daunting medical bills. (McGinley, 4/11)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new type of drug that targets a subset of leukemia patients with a genetic abnormality that makes the cancer harder to treat. Venclexta was approved for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who relapsed or weren't helped by a prior treatment and are missing part of chromosome 17. The drug indirectly makes cancer cells die. (4/11)