Avastin Lucentis Update 19 U S Senator Seeks Answers About the Cost Differential from Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

This posting, ran this evening in the WSJ Health Blog.


Sen. Kohl Queries Medicare on Genentech Drugs

WSJ Health Blog
Posted by Jacob Goldstein
October 19, 2007, 5:14 pm

Herb Kohl, the chairman of the Senate's Special Committee on Aging, asked the federal agency that runs Medicare some tough questions about the billions of dollars it may have to spend if lots of Medicare patients with a serious eye disease use Lucentis instead of Avastin.

Kohl's letter, sent yesterday, cites a story that ran in the WSJ last week (and initially appeared, in shorter form, in the Health Blog), describing a move by Genentech to block sales of the drug to certain specialized pharmacies. That could make it more difficult for some patients to be treated with Avastin for an eye disease called wet macular degeneration.

Avastin, a cancer drug sold by Genentech, hasn't been approved for use in the eye. But many retina specialists maintain it is as effective as Lucentis, a Genentech drug that is approved to treat wet macular degeneration. Genentech has said the FDA voiced safety concerns about the repackaging of Avastin for use in the eye.

A dose of Avastin for the eye costs about $40, compared with about $2,000 for Lucentis.

The letter asks the acting administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services how much the agency has spent on Lucentis and Avastin in the last few years. Kohl also wants to know what CMS has done "to explore the reduction of expenditures on expensive drugs such as Lucentis by using alternative treatments such as Avastin."

Another branch of the government is taking direct action on the Avastin/Lucentis question. The National Institutes of Health has committed to fund a head-to-head trial of the drugs to see how they compare in treating macular degeneration.


Here is the link to Sen. Kohl’s letter.

Benefits From Low Cost Dental Coverage

By Arline Bradley

You should always remember that you must maintain well your body for a healthy well being. But you cannot avoid few problems that will occur in the future. One problem might be your oral health. You have to make sure that you can maintain it through the help of low cost dental coverage. This way, you will be safe from any health problems. This will also give you the chance to have a regular visit from your dentist. This will also provide you a lower cost for the entire billing.

To maintain your oral health is necessary for the overall body condition. Healthy gums and teeth will give you to communicate properly. This becomes necessary, especially this will provides a healthy living. You should avoid any problems by brushing your teeth everyday and flossing it after.

You should visit your dentist regularly so that your teeth will be cleaned well. However, there are certain problems after the checkup. It is usually the big payment for the whole procedure. Sometimes, this is the issue why there are few people who visit their hygienist rarely. This is the reason why everyone has an oral coverage.

There are many kinds of insurance coverage. One is the dental preferred provider organization which allows you to visit your dentist regularly. You will be paying just a little amount of the whole cost because you are under of its plan. Visiting a PPO dentist under the network is affordable . They should accept fees under a contract of PPO insurance.

You will be paying a percentage rate that is already reduced. The insurance will pay the entire cost of your checkup. This is also depending on the type of coverage you are enrolled like major services, preventive and diagnostic. Another type is the dental health maintenance organization that is mostly referred as prepaid plans. You are required to choose your own dental facilities to help you with your oral health needs.

You can be referred by your dentist if you need a specialist. You will first need a pre authorization. This DHMO type of plans has no deductions. You should provide a co payment to receive such service and no need for paying. If you are having your check up outside the network, you are responsible for the entire cost.

The discount plans. This is commonly called as a reduced fee for service plans. This is not insured but offers a discounted rate for any services from a hygienist in the entire month or yearly charge. There is no papers for this, no deductions but you can access to a certain hygienist to have a discount.

Dental plan is intended for the needs of each member. This will be helping them to visit their hygienist without worrying with the bill. This will help the members to avoid any health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and even cancers.

One benefit from these insurances are the premiums for two years. You can also choose the plan you want to enroll. You will no longer wait at more periods in the preventive service. Once you are already enrolled, you will enjoy other benefits.

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