How To Convince Medicare to Pay for DCVax-L
Dear Fellow NWBO Shareholders:
Fireman02360, in his very good post earlier today (#495354), indirectly raised an important point. It's not enough just to get a drug approved. The drug also has to get paid for.
Since many GBM patients are 65 or older, as a practical matter the payor for United States citizens will be Medicare. So who convinces Medicare to pay for DCVax-L? And is there anything we can we do, as rank-and-file shareholders, to help with the convincing?
I believe the answer is yes, we may actually be able to do something. In fact, I have already begun this process, by writing letters. If you are interested in learning more about this, and perhaps joining an informal letter writing/advocacy campaign, tell me so in a reply message, or hit follow.
Hint: a key player in this process is my former employer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), located in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Since its founding in 1995, NCCN has grown to become a powerful, influential organization among not just oncologists, but also health insurers. Today NCCN helps to determine the standards of care (SOC) that many on this board, including ATLnsider and a e kusterer, keep referring to. Frequently, insurance companies balk at paying for treatments that are not considered part of standard care.
After I'm sure that some people on this board are interested in what I have to say, I'll write a longer post that sets out what we, as members of the public, may be able to do to help make sure that Medicare pays for therapy with DCVax-L.
Personally, I like the idea of actually doing something instead of just sitting on my hands, waiting for the peer reviewed journal article and the press releases announcing top-line data and submission of a biologics license application. If you feel the same, and wish to take action, hit follow.
Thanks, and have a great weekend!
Best NWBO regards,
OncoJock
