In Tennessee, officials say outdated insurance policies are making it difficult and sometimes impossible for cancer patients to receive the treatment their doctors determine to be the best option.
Tennessee is only one of eight states that does not equalize the patient cost for receiving anti-cancer medication like chemotherapy, regardless of whether it is delivered orally or intravenously. This prevents cancer patients from taking full advantage of today’s innovative medical advancements, officials said.
“In Tennessee, we distinguish ourselves from the rest of the country and are often proud of our differences, but this is one area where we’re way behind other states and are failing some of our most vulnerable citizens, Jeff Parsley, executive director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Tennessee Chapter, said.
“Fortunately, members of the General Assembly understand that we can do better, and we look forward to working with them to update our laws and make changes to support cancer patients.”
Senator Bill Ketron and Representative William Lamberth have introduced SB0922/HB1059 that would reduce barriers to access for cancer patients and would mean that the patient cost share would be more aligned regardless of whether chemotherapy treatment is administered intravenously or orally.
The bill is not a mandate and does not create a new insurance benefit.
“We are very grateful to Senator Ketron and Rep. Lamberth for their tireless support and commitment to this issue and the thousands of cancer patients, their care givers and loved ones across the state,” Mr. Parsley said.
"Oral anti-cancer medications, which are often available in a pill form, can have fewer side effects than traditional therapies. More than 25 percent of new anti-cancer treatments in the research pipeline are in oral form, making patient-administered therapies an increasingly important component of cancer treatment. For a number of cancers, oral anti-cancer medications are actually already the standard of care with no treatment alternatives.
"Traditional treatments, usually given through an IV or injection, are covered under a patient’s medical benefits resulting in a small co-pay or no cost at all. Oral treatments are usually part of the health plan’s pharmacy benefit and result in high out-of-pocket costs for patients. This disparity can negatively impact patients taking their medication as prescribed," officials said.