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December 1, 2009

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Letter: Medicare funds for cancer care could be cut

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 | 8:34 a.m.

I am writing this letter as a wake-up call to all citizens. There is a Medicare bill in a joint congressional conference right now that will cause a calamity in the administering of cancer care. Most people are unaware of this proposal and since it was added to the end of the bill rather hurriedly, I dare say most senators and congressmen are not fully apprised of this portion of the Medicare bill or its ramifications.

This legislation will cut $16 billion from Medicare's funding for cancer care and thus, if unchanged, will systematically dismantle community-based cancer care in the country. Chemotherapy will no longer be available to us as it is today. The proposed slashing of cancer funding will affect everyone, not only seniors. Hopefully the readers will not need chemotherapy, but what if someone close to them or a family member does?

Are any of you citizens prepared to accept compromised quality of care? Are you willing to have non-professionals control chemo drugs and control the doctors treating patients with life-threatening cancer?

BOB GOLDBERG

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