Revolt by cancer patients after a senator proposed that they pay for part of the services that are now settled. “Means certain death”

A bill recently submitted by a POT senator provides for the introduction of a co-payment of 5% of the value of medical services settled by CNAS for adults with cancer. The legislative initiative is harshly criticized by patients. “In no country in the European Union is there a co-payment for oncological treatment,” reported the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients.

The draft law “regarding the rights, protection and services granted to oncology patients in Romania”, initiated by POT senator Gheorghe Vela, comes with the following proposals:

• “(1) Adult oncological patients benefit from the coverage, from public funds, of the costs related to the package of oncological services provided for in Article 6, with the application of the minimum and capped co-payment established by this law.
• (2) The co-payment owed by adult oncological patients represents a financial contribution of a maximum of 5% of the value of the medical services settled by the CNAS, under the conditions and limits established by this law and by the methodological norms.”

In another article, the project provides that cancer patients can choose to pay the co-payment including in installments:

• “(1) The adult oncological patient has the right to pay the co-payment provided for in Article 16 in installments, without interest and without penalties, under the conditions and terms established by the methodological names of the application of this law.
• (2) The installments are approved at the request of the patient or, as the case may be, of the legal representative, formulated prior to issuing the decision establishing the co-payment, and are managed by the competent health insurance company, according to the procedure provided by the methodological names.”

Shortly after, the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients, the largest NGO that represents the rights of oncology patients in Romania, publicly requested Senator Gheorghe Vela, in an open letter, “to inform the public, in a transparent manner, about the proposal to introduce co-payments in the package of oncology services”.

“Copayment for a cancer patient means certain death,” says Cezar Irimia, president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients, in a dialogue with HotNews.

The senator did not explain why he thinks this change is necessary

In the open letter, the Association asks Senator POT to publicly clarify what studies or impact analyzes substantiated the introduction of the co-payment and how real access to treatment is guaranteed for vulnerable patients.

For his part, contacted by HotNews, Senator Gheorghe Vela promised to provide in writing, for the public, “within 24 hours, 48 ​​hours or 30 days” explanations about the reasons why he considered it necessary to introduce the co-payment for oncology patients.

The answer of the POT parliamentarian did not come until the time of publication of this article. If we receive it, we will publish it later.

HotNews also consulted the statement of reasons of the draft law, but even from this document it is not clear why the introduction of the co-payment is needed.

Treatments of tens of thousands of euros per month. “Where is the patient going to get 5% of that money?”

Cancer patients sometimes benefit from treatments settled for thousands or tens of thousands of euros per month, and the co-payment of 5% of this amount would represent an amount they cannot afford, explains Cezar Irimia:

“Think about the drugs that are very expensive in oncology – especially immunotherapy and not only – think about what 5% co-pay means. Every month it can be 20,000 euros, 10,000 euros or 50,000 euros treatments.”

“Where can the cancer patient get 5% of that money?” asks the president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients, himself an oncology patient.

“My medication costs 52,000 lei”

On the Facebook page of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients, a patient commented that: “If they make me pay the co-payment for the medicine administered once every 6 weeks, I will give up. My medicine costs 52,000 lei.”

“Their proposal is inhumane,” wrote another patient.

“I don't know what was going through their heads. But we will certainly not leave things this way,” says Cezar Irimia.

In addition, the representative of the patients' association points out, “there are situations in which cancer patients do not have access to treatment: it is not available in the country or the Romanian state does not pay for it. We have sued the state several times for access to therapies. We have 1,400 lawsuits, won in a proportion of 98-99%.”

Cezar Irimia is now waiting for Senator POT “to answer us, to tell us clearly how he was informed, what analysis was the basis of this law and why he thought of this co-payment. Because it seems outrageous to me. There is no co-payment for cancer treatment in any country in the European Union.”

For his part, after the bill was submitted, the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, wrote on Friday, in a post on Facebook, that he is “excluded” from the institution he leads supporting the introduction of co-payments for cancer patients.

“In oncology, any additional barrier means delay. Any delay can mean the loss of an opportunity. The responsibility lies with the system, not with the person who receives a difficult diagnosis”, believes the Minister of Health.