Editorial: Calling for better prevention

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

A new vaccination blocks the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer, but health insurers don't adequately cover the costs of the potentially life-saving vaccine. So many young women do not have access to it.

The vaccine Gardasil, which prevents the contraction of two strains of the human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted disease, was approved in June by the Food and Drug Administration for use by females 9 to 26 years old.

Despite the FDA's approval, a recent story by the Associated Press says that most insurance companies are reimbursing only $6 to $45 for the Gardasil vaccine, which consists of three shots with a total cost of $360. Doctors say they cannot afford to absorb the extra costs associated with buying and storing the vaccine. Many are not offering it at all, while others require patients to pay upfront surcharges of as much as $450.

Last week Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed an executive order requiring that schoolgirls get the vaccine, making Texas the first state to do so. Perry's order directs health authorities to make the vaccine free to girls between the ages of 9 and 18 if they are uninsured or don't have insurance that covers the vaccine.

In Nevada, Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, is sponsoring legislation that would require insurers to cover the vaccine, a Titus spokeswoman told the Las Vegas Sun on Monday.

Health insurers' refusal to adequately reimburse doctors for this life-saving vaccine is reprehensible. New treatments typically are more expensive than existing ones, and insurers should not be able to get away with the lame excuse that Gardasil is too expensive. A vaccine is less expensive than spending thousands to treat cervical cancer.

Merck also could do its part by making Gardasil more affordable. What Merck would lose by lowering the price of the vaccine likely could be made up in increased sales. Reducing the vaccine's price also would make it easier for Nevada and other states to require that these vaccines be available to all girls and women who qualify.