Majority of Canadians Worried about Cost of Cancer Drugs

Canadian Cancer Society Alarmed By Federal Government Inaction to

Establish a National Catastrophic Drug Insurance Program

TORONTO, Sept. 29 /CNW/ - A large majority of Canadians - 85 per cent - say if they were diagnosed with cancer the cost of drugs would have a negative impact on their personal finances, according to poll results released today by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Forty-seven per cent said the cost would have a 'major' negative impact on their finances. After being informed of the typical costs for newer cancer drugs this rose to 58 per cent, and 10 per cent said they would not be able to afford the drugs.

About three-quarters of newer cancer drugs taken at home cost over $20,000. The average cost of a single course of treatment with newer cancer drugs is $65,000 - almost as high as the average annual income of Canadians.

Newer high-priced cancer drugs introduced during the past few years have exposed gaps and disparities in Canada's patchwork system of coverage that is causing financial hardships for many cancer patients.

"It is not acceptable that cancer patients should worry about how they are going to pay for the drugs they need," says Aaron Levo, Assistant  Director, Public Issues, Canadian Cancer Society. "Universality of healthcare, which is a cornerstone of Canada's public healthcare system, is being seriously threatened by this issue. The Society is alarmed and frustrated that the federal government seems to be ignoring this critical health issue for Canadians."

Poll results also show that:

• Only 34 per cent of Canadians are confident that the healthcare system will provide affordable cancer drugs.
  
  
• 74 per cent of Canadians would support a federally-funded national catastrophic drug insurance program that would pay for the full cost of prescription drugs, with no expense to the patient.
  
  
• 70 per cent of Canadians would support a federally funded national catastrophic drug insurance plan that would pay for prescription drugs based on income. (The federal government would pay for prescription drug costs exceeding three per cent of net income. All costs below this would be the responsibility of the patient, through a combination of provincial and private drug plans and the patient's money.)

"Canadians clearly support establishing a national program to help them pay for cancer drugs but, unfortunately, they are losing confidence in Canada's healthcare system to fix it," says Levo.

Variation among provinces

There are significant disparities among provinces, and between public and private insurers, about which cancer drugs are covered and to what extent. This leads to situations where a patient in one province may have to pay out of pocket for a cancer drug while a patient in another province does not. In addition, the same cancer drugs are not available in all provinces.

"The lack of a national approach to drug coverage is resulting in a disturbing shift from universal healthcare to healthcare by postal code and pocket book," says Levo.

Poll results shows that 81 per cent of Canadians would support the federal government taking action - through federally funded programs - to reduce or eliminate the provincial differences in the availability and costs of cancer drugs.

"There is an urgent need for the federal government to work collaboratively with the provinces to ensure coverage is consistent across Canada and to develop strategies to relieve the financial burden on patients," says Levo.

Paul Lapierre, Vice President, Public Affairs and Cancer Control, Canadian Cancer Society, says that with the renewal of the 2004 Health Accord fast approaching, it is time for the federal government to renew its commitment to universal, accessible, high-quality healthcare for all Canadians.

"It's shameful that Canadian families are vulnerable to high drug costs based on where they live and the situation will only get worse if the federal government continues to do nothing," says Lapierre.

Cancer Drug Access Symposium

To help find solutions to the financial impact on Canadians of rising cancer drug costs, the Canadian Cancer Society is co-hosting the second annual Symposium on Cancer Drug Access in Ottawa on Thursday, September 30. The other co-hosts are the Canadian Cancer Action Network and the Public Policy Forum.

This forum builds on the 2009 symposium which brought together for the first time representatives from across all sectors to gain a common understanding of the issues. This year senior leaders will look at specific strategies to address key gaps in cancer drug access and will focus on creating action towards workable solutions. Delegates include representatives from governments, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, volunteer groups and doctors and nurses associations. Peter Goodhand, President and CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, will be attending and participating in a panel discussion.

"Years after promises were made by the federal government our country is still facing the same issues with high-cost drugs," says Levo. "The Canadian Cancer Society is working on solutions and we strongly urge the federal government to bring all parties to the table to do the same."

About the poll

From September 9 to September 13, 2010, an online survey among a representative sample of 2,334 Canadians aged 18 and over was conducted. The margin of error typically associated with a sample of this size would be +/- 2 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The poll was conducted by Pollara.

The Canadian Cancer Society fights cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer, save lives and support people living with cancer. Join the fight! Go to fightback.ca to find out how you can help. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at cancer.ca  or call our toll-free bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

Media backgrounder #1 (of 2) for: Majority of Canadians Worried about Cost of Cancer Drugs

Cancer drugs create treatment options for cancer patients, but the newer generation of medications can be costly. If drugs are administered in a hospital or clinic they are free - paid for by Canada's publicly funded health system. However, in the majority of provinces, drugs taken at home, which is increasingly the case, are paid for by the patient. There are no agreed upon national standards for how much Canadians should have to pay for cancer drugs.

One in twelve Canadian families face catastrophic drug costs (generally defined as greater than three per cent of net household income), even in provinces where universal coverage exists. Many Canadians, especially seasonal or self-employed workers and those with low incomes, do not have access to affordable insurance. Workers who lose their jobs are vulnerable because almost all private insurance is employer sponsored.

The proportion of provincial cancer control budgets that is allocated to drugs has tripled over the past 20 years in some jurisdictions. This is attributed in part to increased demand and in part to higher drug prices. As public and private drug plans attempt to control their expenditures, costs are shifting increasingly to patients. This shift of costs can affect treatment options for patients. In a recent survey, 80 per cent of Canadian oncologists said their treatment recommendations are influenced by a patient's ability to pay anticipated drug costs.

According to the 2009 Canadian Cancer Society reported entitled Optimizing Access to Cancer Drugs for Canadians:

• About 50 per cent of newer cancer drugs are taken at home and, as a result, in most provinces patients can be responsible for the full cost.
• About three-quarters of cancer drugs taken at home cost over $20,000.
• The average cost of a single course of treatment with more recent cancer drugs is $65,000 - almost as high as the average annual income of Canadians.
• Many provincial governments have established catastrophic drug programs to provide at least some protection for their residents.
• Private insurers have increased the maximum payouts for claims to reflect the new drug cost realities. However, some private plans have an annual or lifetime cap on costs, many of which are below the costs of newer cancer drugs.
• There are no agreed upon standards among provinces for how much cancer patients should be expected to pay for prescription drugs.

More poll results

• Eighty-one per cent of Canadians are not familiar with the drug coverage plan in their province. Only four per cent are very familiar with the availability and cost of cancer drugs in their province.
• If Canadians did receive a diagnosis of cancer, the most common ways to pay for the cost of cancer drugs would be:
• Workplace health benefits (41 per cent)
• Savings/earnings (38 per cent)
• Private drug plans (24 per cent)
  
  
• Among the respondents who feel that cancer patients should not be required to pay anything at all for their medications, 31 per cent are willing to accept higher taxes and 28 per cent are willing to accept government service reductions in non-healthcare areas as a trade-off.

About the poll: From September 9 to September 13, 2010, an online survey among a representative sample of 2,334 Canadians, aged 18 and over was conducted. The margin of error typically associated with a sample of this size would be +/- 2 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The poll was conducted by Pollara.

The Canadian Cancer Society fights cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer, save lives and support people living with cancer. Join the fight! Go to fightback.ca to find out how you can help. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at cancer.ca  or call our toll-free bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

Media backgrounder #2 (of 2) for: Majority of Canadians Worried about Cost of Cancer Drugs

Andrew's story

Andrew Goodridge says it is only thanks to the generosity of family and friends that he is not going bankrupt.

In March 2009 the then 41-year-old Fredericton, New Brunswick property manager was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver. Doctors advised shrinking the tumour using a drug called Avastin, combined with chemotherapy, in preparation for surgery to remove the rest.

But New Brunswick did not cover Avastin. Goodridge faced paying $6,250 a month for the drug or $75,000 a year. Private drug benefits did not cover Avastin either.

"I make a five-figure salary, but I was obviously very frightened financially," he says. "I went to oncology every week and saw people facing either financial ruin or the funeral home."

Friends and family in Fredericton and his native St. John's, Nfld. fundraised $125,000. Under pressure from Goodridge, New Brunswick eventually began funding Avastin - but the province still lacks a universal catastrophic drug plan, as does Prince Edward Island.

Now recovering from a third operation to remove cancer in his liver, Goodridge looks forward to a final surgery to remove the remaining cancer by Christmas - and equal access to life-saving drugs across the country for everybody.

"Morally it's disgraceful," he says. Governments "are letting the most vulnerable citizens fend for themselves."

The Canadian Cancer Society fights cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer, save lives and support people living with cancer. Join the fight! Go to fightback.ca to find out how you can help. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at cancer.ca  or call our toll-free bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

For further information:

For a copy of the poll or to arrange an interview contact:

Alexa Giorgi, Bilingual Communications Specialist

416-934-5681