Friday, June 11, 2010
Zilveren Kruis Achmea is the first healthcare insurer to reimburse the costs of a diagnostic test for breast cancer.
This test, called MammaPrint, enables doctors to determine with precision whether chemotherapy is required. Chemotherapy is currently given to many patients who do not require it, or vice versa.
The MammaPrint was developed by Agendia, a spin-off of the Cancer Genomics Centre. Although already approved in 2007 by the US Food and Drug Association, the costs of the test were not yet reimbursed in the Netherlands. Achmea expects that use of the test will ultimately lead to cost savings.