HealthNewsReview.org | Independent Expert Reviews of News Stories | Holding Health and Medical Journalism Accountable

Why this matters to patients

Kidney cancer patient Dave deBronkart sees a problem in health care consumers being shielded from the true total cost of their health care.

A physician's perspective on why costs matter in news stories

Dr. Steven Atlas, one of our medical editors.

Why does this Matter?

We all better start thinking about the costs of treatments, tests, products and procedures. In some way, we all pay for them.
We spend a greater percentage of the Gross Domestic Product on health care than any other country, but we don't have the outcomes to show for it.
Americans don't know how much their health care costs. Yet, these days, they're being forced to have "more skin in the game."
As you hear about new treatments, tests, products and procedures, it's not only important to think about costs, but to think about whether insurance will cover it.
It's also important to compare costs, and cost-effectiveness, with other alternative options. We hope that journalism can help provide some of that information.
But our experience with this project so far shows that journalism does an awful job of discussing costs - getting the weakest grades of any of our ten criteria.

Studies: New type of osteoporosis drug cuts fracture risk in women, men in cancer treatment

Pricing for this drug is not yet available; however, the story suggests that it could be expensive, with similarly engineered drugs costing more than $10,000 a year. In addition, the costs of currently prescribed osteoporosis medications are provided.

Debate surrounds new prostate cancer treatment

The story provided information on the costs of various approaches to the treatment of prostate cancer and discussed varying policies on insurance coverage.

'Miracle drug' called junk science

The story provided information on the costs of various approaches to the treatment of prostate cancer and discussed varying policies on insurance coverage.

Controlling Blood Pressure

There was no discussion of estimated price for this device and treatment. If it's not too early for the network to say this is a "beakthrough" that has been "proven highly effective" and a "game-changer" that "could help millions" then it's certainly not to early to discuss costs.

The Cutting Edge: Robotic Surgery, Today!

The story makes no mention of how much all of this equipment costs, or how much it adds to the price of medical treatment.

This is a serious--and baffling--omission. The gee-whizness of the story almost immediately begs the question of how much all of this stuff costs. Not a word is mentioned.

Promising Test for Dendreon's Prostate Cancer Drug

While the story anticipates approval and comments on the drug maker's stock price, it fails to anticipate the drug's cost or comment on the expense required to extend life by several months.