JointHealth™ express September 28, 2010
Leveling the Field in Canada: Moving Toward Reimbursement Equality in Biologic Therapy for Canadians with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Currently in our country not all biologics (biologic response modifiers) approved by Health Canada for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are listed on provincial formularies and sometimes even when they are, the restrictions may be unreasonable. Depending on where a person with arthritis lives in Canada, access to certain treatments may not be available – public reimbursement coverage for biologics is not equal across the country.
A recently published paper entitled, "Leveling the Field in Canada: Moving Toward Reimbursement Equality in Biologic Therapy for Canadians with Rheumatoid Arthritis" (or "Leveling the Field in Canada") was written to address this inequity and to supply a rationale for allowing specialist physicians to prescribe the best suited biologic for their patients.
The authors of the booklet include arthritis specialists from across Canada and ACE.
Topics covered in the current JointHealth™ monthly are:
Leveling the Field in Canada: Moving Toward Reimbursement Equality in Biologic Therapy for Canadians with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Currently in our country not all biologics (biologic response modifiers) approved by Health Canada for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are listed on provincial formularies and sometimes even when they are, the restrictions may be unreasonable. Depending on where a person with arthritis lives in Canada, access to certain treatments may not be available – public reimbursement coverage for biologics is not equal across the country.
A recently published paper entitled, "Leveling the Field in Canada: Moving Toward Reimbursement Equality in Biologic Therapy for Canadians with Rheumatoid Arthritis" (or "Leveling the Field in Canada") was written to address this inequity and to supply a rationale for allowing specialist physicians to prescribe the best suited biologic for their patients.
The authors of the booklet include arthritis specialists from across Canada and ACE.
Topics covered in the current JointHealth™ monthly are:
- Summary of Leveling the Field in Canada
- Recommendations from ACE
- Questions & Answers
- What can you do to help level the field in Canada?
- To read the Leveling the Field in Canada paper click here
- To download a copy of the Leveling the Field in Canada poster click here
Arthritis Consumer Experts
ACE thanks Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) for its scientific review of ACE and JointHealth™ information and education programs.