Oregon's treatment of human growth hormone therapy: A description and evaluative analysis

The Oregon Health Services Commission's most recent list of services covere d in the state's Medicaid plan includes human growth hormone therapy (GHT) for pituitary dwarfism and Turner syndrome, and only for those conditions. Other uses of GHT are either deemed not effective enough or are thought to address conditions that do not constitute "medical necessity." Oregon's pro cess of prioritization is complex and includes comparisons with the severit y of competing conditions and the effectiveness of their treatment outcomes . The precise reasoning that may have influenced the commission's decision to limit GHT to pituitary dwarfism and Turner syndrome is not Clear, but th e commission's decision is likely to stand because persuasive criticisms ag ainst such limitation cannot be derived from the moral force of rectifying inequality of opportunity.