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To the Editor.—The article by Dr Finkelstein and colleagues¹ on the discord between physician recommendations and insurance coverage for treatment and the accompanying Editorial by Drs Sabin and Daniels² are important in helping Americans understand that the health coverage one receives, especially for emergency and elective treatments, can be affected by the organization providing health care coverage.

The authors group together as insurers for-profit companies, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BC/BS) plans, Medicaid agencies, and programs for Children With Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) from 16 states. They report the percentage of these organizations that cover or do not cover certain uses of growth hormone (GH), as "28% of Medicaid agencies reported that they always cover GH therapy if prescribed by an authorized physician and almost one quarter (22%) of CSHCN programs reported that they never cover any part of GH costs." No such breakdown is given for BC/BS . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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