Updates

Value Our Health: Stop Discriminatory Value Assessments

07.08.19

Millions of Americans are living with chronic illnesses and disabilities. In generations past, we did not live well or long with these conditions.

Today, scientific advancement has ushered in more innovative therapies and technologies than ever before. Societal evolution has led to policies that have made navigating the world as someone living with one or more of these conditions progressively better.

Cancer patients, for example, are living longer than ever before. They have more options for treatment that can not only extend their survival but can also improve their quality of life.

Through organizations such as the Cancer Support Community, we attend to the social, emotional and logistical burdens many cancer patients and survivors experience. We know that comprehensive, high-quality cancer care must encompass every facet of a patient’s life.

However, this progress comes at a cost. Innovation is expensive, and with high-cost therapies come difficult decisions about scarce health resources.