I’m Dr. Rafael Fonseca and this is A Healthier You. Oncologists like myself are under increasing pressure to balance the needs of “society” with those of our patients by limiting the use of costly new drugs. Health care payers are using research from groups like the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, or ICER, to determine access to newer medicines. But this academic research does not reflect the real-world use of new medicines in clinical practice, and its misuse poses a danger to patients.  Denial of coverage, requirements such as “first fail” or increased co-pays based on such studies will negate the progress achieved in the treatment of cancer, to the detriment of patients. We physicians cannot serve two masters. In a choice between the welfare of patients and “society,” our responsibility is to the patient. For more details, go to Facebook/BetterHealthCarePolicy.