Insurances for Many People
Whose heart would not break for Jill Anzarut? Ms Anzarut, an immensely likeable 35-year-old mother of two children, has become the latest victim of our heartless health care system. She was recently diagnosed with a small startup tumor in her breast.Her doctor recommended a treatment with Herceptin, a drug that cost upwards of $ 40,000 per year. Only one problem: In Ontario, Ms. Anzarut’s tumor is too small to qualify. Now undergoing chemotherapy, she publicly campaigned for the drug, between periods of exhaustion and nausea. Government denies mother’s life-saving treatment, scream the headlines. Journalists and breast cancer advocates protest the grotesque injustice of it all. Indeed, other provinces to cover Herceptin in cases such as hers.
Talk about irony: Early detection is supposed to save lives, but Ms. Anzarut denied the drug that could save her. Ontario’s Health Minister, Deb Matthews, was roundly condemned for responding to health care policy can not be dictated by the headlines. As it stands, that’s impossible. One reason is the high cost of expensive new drugs such as Herceptin – which efficacy for patients; like Ms. Anzarut is even debate among researchers specialists.Herceptin’s benefits for women with very small tumors are at best marginal. But if your tumor, marginal, good enough may be enough.