B.C. woman who'd been paying out of pocket for cancer care finally gets coverage
A Coquitlam woman who was forced to pay for part of her own cancer care treatment for the past 14 months is relieved her drug protocol is now being fully covered by the B.C. government.
Kari Taylor Atkins was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, and her treatment included Herceptin, a common medication that is paid for by the province. When her cancer returned and spread to her brain, doctors recommended she continue with Herceptin and also begin taking two new medications that the drug companies offered her free of charge under compassionate care.
But Taylor Atkins was shocked to learn if she started taking those new drugs to treat her brain tumours, the province would no longer cover Herceptin for her breast cancer.
Multi-drug cancer treatment protocols need to be approved, and while the new brain cancer drugs were given the green light for use, their cost had not yet been negotiated by the government.
“The drugs are put together as a protocol in a bundle, and until that bundle of drugs is approved, they are not approved as individuals,” said Taylor Atkins. “It had never occurred to me, never at all occurred to me, that the drugs would be required but not paid for.”
A STRESSFUL TIME
Kari’s husband Matthew Atkins was outraged.
“The drug is called Herceptin, it’s for people with HER-2 positive cancer, it’s in the name. If it’s not for her, who are we saving it for? And they just wouldn’t give it up over a paperwork issue, because they haven’t finalized that protocol yet,” Atkins said.
In order to keep her three-drug treatment plan, Taylor Atkins had to pay out of pocket for IV infusions of Herceptin at a private clinic. In the past 14 months, it’s cost the couple nearly $18,000.
“It’s been a stressful time knowing every Monday before the treatment, the pharmacy would phone and basically say we are here, we have your drugs ready to mix, we just need to make sure you can afford to pay for them,” said Taylor Atkins.
“You have to make a choice between life-saving medication for your loved one and putting food on the table,” her husband added. .
LONG-AWAITED PROVINCIAL APPROVAL
Last week, the couple finally got word the three-drug protocol has been fully approved and will now be covered by the province.
“For many people, this would be a victory. For me, it feels like we are finally at the end of getting punched in the face. Of course you are happy that it stopped, but at some point you want to stop and look back and say, 'Well, why was I getting punched in the face for the last 14 months?” said Atkins.
He and his wife say the drug protocol approval process needs to be sped up, and there should be better communication with and support for patients.
“You’re up against this big wall of government you get no response from, and it becomes very, very daunting,” Atkins said.
In a statement, Health Minister Adrian Dix said: "I am glad to hear this drug treatment protocol is now covered, so this patient and her family will no longer need to pay out of pocket. We recognize the process can be long and this puts stress on patients and their loved ones, especially at a time when they need to focus on their health.”
Dix said there is a formal and rigorous process to determine which new oncology drugs are approved for funding and added to the BC Cancer drug benefit list. “The drug treatment protocol, in this case ,went through this process and is now funded, which is great news,” his statement said.
Taylor Atkins is relieved she no longer needs to pay for part of her cancer care, but knows others are still shouldering that burden.
“There are other patients in a similar situation with a different drug protocol but have the same problem where they have to pay for it themselves,” she said.
Taylor Atkins and her husband are now advocating for changes to the way drugs are approved, so other patients don’t have to choose between paying the rent and paying for treatment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.