Cancer ABCs has sent the following to Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield to request that they provide insurance coverage for the Oncotype dx gps assay
Cancer ABCs is a nonprofit 501©3 corporation that is actively involved in providing education, support, and advocacy for men with prostate cancer and their loved ones. We are excited that Anthem BCBS is currently considering extending coverage of the Oncotype DX GPS test to its members. We believe that extending coverage is in the best interest of Anthem’s members as well as to society in general.
The current technology for a man who is newly diagnosed with low or favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer is not adequate for him or his doctor to make appropriate decisions about treatment. The lack of good information about the potential aggressiveness of the cancer in these men often leads to either inadequate treatment or to overtreatment. Both under treatment and over-treatment leads to unnecessary economic costs and a diminution of the patient’s quality of life.
Over 5,300 patients have validated the Oncotype DX GPS test, it is one of the few validated genomic assay for these men. It will add much needed information that will lead to better treatment choices, decreasing overall economic costs as well as supporting a better quality of life for members.
The Oncotype DX GPS test has not only been validated, but it is also a part of the NCCN Guidelines as well as the ASCO Guidelines for men with low or favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer.
We urge that coverage be extended to all men, regardless of their age, who have been diagnosed with low or favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Coverage will allow these men to make better treatment choices, save costs by avoiding both over and under treatment, and also preserve the quality of life for so many of your members.
Thank you for considering our request that you extend coverage for the Oncotype DX GPS test.
Sincerely,
Joel T Nowak
President & CEO
Cancer ABCs, 315 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
