Complementary Therapies

Complementary cancer therapies are another coverage consideration. A cancer patient undergoing this type of therapy should check with his or her insurance policy regarding coverage.

Cancer Screening Coverage

Cancer screening coverage is an important consideration. Forty-four states mandate insurance coverage of screenings for at least one of these cancers: breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal. Breast cancer screening coverage is most commonly mandated. Most mandates refer to screenings that follow the American Cancer Society guidelines. A Women's Health Initiative Observational Study investigated the use of cancer screenings by more than 55,000 women between September 1994 and February 1997. The study found that the type of insurance a woman had was linked with the number of cancer screenings she reported. Women age 65 years and older who had Medicare plus prepaid insurance were more likely to report that they had screenings than those who had Medicare alone.

Health Care Regulations

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996, offers people rights and protections regarding their health care plans. Because of HIPAA, there are limits on preexisting condition exclusions, people cannot be discriminated because of health factors, there are special enrollment requirements for people who lose other group plans or have new dependents, small employers are guaranteed group health plan availability, and all group plans have guaranteed renewal if the employer wishes to renew. In summary these rights and protections include:

• Portability. This is the ability for a person to get new health insurance if a change is desired or needed.
• Availability. This refers to whether or not health insurance must be offered to a person and his or her dependents.
• Renewability. This refers to whether or not a person is able to renew his or her health plan.