Mother fights Fedhealth for access to drugs

Fedhealth is refusing to pay for the full year's course of the drug, which significantly reduces the risk of cancer returning following treatment with chemotherapy, surgery or radiation.

She says that while she is on Fedhealth's premium medical package - costing her and her family R10 000 - the medical aid will only pay for nine weeks of treatment.

Roos says that women who are not on a medical aid receive the drug for free. In 2006 Discovery Health also refused to pay for the treatment but four women took the medical aid on and won the right to be treated with Herceptin.

Roos's doctor, Devan Moodly has written to the medical aid a number of times explaining the motivation for using the drug and the significant risk reduction it provides.

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• Fedhealth.