‘Minister Glavine, cancer cannot wait’
Nova Scotia doctor wants government to honour commitments
As an oncologist, I have the responsibility to tell my patients they have cancer and that is always a difficult conversation. But when I also have to tell them they can’t afford the treatment that will help fight their cancer and that our hands are tied – that’s more difficult than you can imagine.
That is why in December I was part of a delegation that met with Leo Glavine, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health. Along with members of the CanCertainty Coalition, other cancer care professionals and patients, we discussed the urgent issues patients in the province face related to take-home cancer medications: the highest outof-pocket costs for families anywhere in Canada and delays in starting medically-necessary cancer treatments.
In Nova Scotia, when I prescribe an approved take-home cancer medications according to our provincial guidelines, my patients under 65 go home with paperwork instead of medication. They have to apply to a variety of funding assistance programs and ultimately pay a significant deductible or co-pay from personal savings.
Depending upon the family’s income, the out-of-pocket cost to the family can be over $10,000 annually or more. To qualify for assistance programs, patients submit significant amounts of personal and financial information and often face stressful delays waiting for approvals before they can start their cancer treatment. Even with private insurance, patients often face significant co-pays, deductibles, or they reach annual or lifetime caps and must seek help from the province to bridge the gaps.
Sadly, in Nova Scotia, physicians asking patients about their health insurance, drug plan or financial means has become an unfortunately normal, routine part of a medical appointment.
Canada’s Western provinces treat take-home cancer drugs and hospital-administered cancer drugs equally, regardless of the patient’s cancer type, age, or income. Patients receive their treatment without delay or out-of-pocket cost. Oncologists there can focus on the patient’s treatment and recovery. I experienced this first-hand when I did my some of my training in Alberta. It’s the way it should be.
In the December meeting, Minister Glavine committed to immediately look at the cumbersome process of getting cancer patients their treatments and improving patient access to take-home cancer medications. It gave us hope that change is on the way. We call on the minister to quickly turn these commitments into practical solutions for cancer patients. Because Minister Glavine, cancer patients cannot wait.
The Can-Certainty Coalition is the united voice of 35 Canadian patient groups, cancer health charities, and caregiver organizations from across the country, joining together with oncologists and cancer care professionals to significantly improve the affordability and accessibility of cancer treatment.