Have Obamacare “Death Panels” Already Begun for Women with Breast Cancer?

One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes in the United States. 1 in 68 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by age 40.  No one should have to face this disease, so in order to create a future without breast cancer, I walked in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure this past weekend.  I walked with 2400+ women and men who have been touched, one way or another, by breast cancer.  I talked with women young and old who have fought the battle and won (for now) and women who, their bald heads protected by caps and bandannas, were still in the middle of their own battle against this disease, but who still proudly walked all or most of the 60 miles with me.  I sat in line for a shower with an elderly woman who, under Obamacare, would most likely be told that some of the drugs available for fighting breast cancer won’t be available to her.

Recently, the FDA determined that the cancer-fighting drug, Avastin, is not cost-effective in treating stage IV breast cancer patients.  Avastin has been proven to extend cancer patients’ lives by several months, it will no longer be available to women suffering from breast cancer or ovarian cancer; it will, however, still be available for people treating other types of cancer.

The cost of this drug is quite expensive, but isn’t extending life worth it?  If Obamacare is already starting to attack and restrict people from using drugs that might possibly extend life now, what will our medical decisions be in 2014 when we’re all forced to follow the Obamacare rules?