New immuno-onocology treatments for cancer are showing a lot of promise, but many questions remain about their side-effects and how they can be applied in both a health-care setting and in the workplace, a conference heard this morning.
Benefits Canada kicked off its 2016 Employers Cancer Care Summit in Toronto this morning with a panel discussion focused on emerging immuno-oncology treatments that involve drugs that target the body’s immune system to help fight the disease.
While the treatments are promising, the side-effects can still be significant and have an impact on the workplace, said panel moderator Louise Binder. The side-effects in some cases can include loss of part of the immune system, despite otherwise being effective in treating the cancer, the conference heard.
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Other issues include the potential use of genetic testing that can help determine whether a particular treatment will be effective on an individual. While the panellists agreed testing can help make treatment more affordable, should insurers have access to the information?
It’s a difficult question, but panellist Joan Weir, director of health and dental policy at the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, said they should. She emphasized the need for both sides to have full information in order to determine the right price for things like life insurance. “In the absence of that, probably everyone will need to bear some higher prices,” she said.
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Of course, with drug prices rising, another issue is the cost of new treatments. As Binder noted, the private sector covers 58% of pharmaceutical expenditures in Canada. As a result, she said, many plan sponsors are getting more proactive in deciding what they’ll cover.
“It could mean that it will take longer to come to a private drug plan,” said Weir, acknowledging that insurers are looking for ways to manage costs but suggesting it’s a good thing science is playing a bigger role in decision-making.
The conference continues this morning with a panel discussion about Benefits Canada’s research, which asked employees diagnosed with cancer about their experiences with their private drug plans.
The research examined employee satisfaction with their plans and considered issues such as how much they paid in out-of-pocket costs. According to the figures, the average out-of-pocket cost was $2,091 during treatment.
About 25% of respondents reported paying $2,500 or more while 29% spent between $500 and $2,499. About 44% of respondents said there was a gap in coverage.
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