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Cancer Patient Discusses Importance of Second Opinions

March 13, 2002
By: Ashley Hall
State Capital Bureau

Carol Carpenter was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of two thousand, and doctors estimate that she now has less than five years to live.

Carpenter says she has reason to believe that, had she not gotten a second opinion when she did, she would already be dead.

Actuality:
RunTime: 31
OutCue: be dead
Contents: When you are diagnosed with cancer, it is really, really important to have all the facts and explore all the options, and I would encourage anyone who has been newly diagnosed with any type of cancer to do their very best to get a second opinion so you do know all the options and all the treatments available adn you don't make the mistakes that I made and have the experiences that I've had. Unfortunately, had I not taken matters into my own hands, and not all people do this, I would have already been dead.

In response to cancer patients like Carpenter, some Missouri lawmakers say they want to require insurance companies to provide second opinion coverage for newly diagnosed cancer patients.

The coverage must be provided even if the specialist is not in the provider's network.

Lynn Schlossler with the Red Cross recently testified to a House committee on behalf of the bill, claiming a second opinion would help ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.

Actuality:
RunTime: 22
OutCue: cancer diagnosis
Contents: There are thousands and thousands and thousands of forms of cancer, and there are many women and men in the United States who, had they had a second opinion, would have gotten proper treatment at the right time. There is no physician out there right now who can know every single treatment that is new, upcoming, and available for cancer patients. And it's estimated that ten thousand people die per day in the United States of America because they are receiveing the wrong treatment for their cancer diagnosis.

Long-term financial implications of the proposal are unknown, but are estimated by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce to be minimal since some providers, such as Medicaid, already include this service.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce also estimates that small businesses run the highest risk of being adversely affected by this bill because of the possibility of increased health care premiums.

So far, the only guaranteed expense is a fifty dollar filing expense insurers would be required to pay in order to amend their current policies to comply with this legislation.

These fee's would result in a revenue of over nine thousand dollars in fall of two thousand three.

Identical bills dealing with this issue have cleared House and Senate committees...But the bills aren't slated yet for floor debate in either chamber.

Cancer patients like Carol Carpenter are lobbying for this bill in both the house and the senate, because they want to help make life easier for future cancer patients.

In Jefferson City, Ashley Hall.