Bone marrow tests should be covered

2/27/07

Donating bone marrow was once painful, expensive and invasive. These days, though, it is as simple as giving blood. And if a match is found, transplants have a proven record of saving the lives of people with cancer.

A pair of bills under consideration in the state General Assembly would push insurance companies to increase how much they will pay for each donation. Even though tests today costs only about $50 per person, it can be a long process to find a proper donor. The totals can add up quickly as different givers are sought, and not every prospective donor can handle the cost themselves.

State laws in neighboring Massachusetts and Rhode Island require insurers to pay the full cost of bone marrow transplants, and a similar law should be passed here. For people fighting cancer, it can be a lifesaving experience to find a suitable candidate for a donation, and the price, while seemingly nominal, should not stand in the way of anyone's chances of survival.

Close relatives often stand the best chance of matching up with a patient in need, and insurers currently cover the cost of family members' donations. But sometimes it's not so easy, and a distant relative, friend and even a total stranger could present the best available option. Under the current proposals, all these tests would be covered by insurance.

The costs associated with fighting cancer can be insurmountable. There are tests, screenings, medications, false hopes, grim prognoses and the steady stream of unanticipated daily hang-ups while people sacrifice everything just to stay alive. For a relatively small price, this is a worthy step to make those people's lives that much easier.

While insurance companies do not have bottomless coffers and not every potential remedy can be paid for, this is something that can and should be removed from people's list of worries. With tens of thousands of new cancer diagnoses in the state every year, there will be more and more people in need of every chance they can get. To think that someone could lose a battle with the disease over a test costing such a small amount ought to be enough to drive lawmakers to action.