Sens. Moran, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Lower Cost of Oral Cancer Treatments

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) recently introduced the Cancer Drug Parity Act, bipartisan legislation that would help lower the cost of oral cancer drugs for Americans battling cancer by making certain patients can access these treatments at comparable prices to traditional (IV) anticancer treatments.

"As cancer research and medical innovation continue to expand treatment options for cancer patients, including with orally administered cancer therapies, patients ought to be able to benefit from these medical advancements," said Sen. Moran. "This commonsense legislation would encourage ERISA health insurance plans to expand access to orally administered cancer drugs. This legislation will help millions of patients access the therapies that best meet their needs. Improving access to new treatments, therapies and cures will help save lives."

"Oral treatments for cancer are often less invasive than traditional IV medications and can be taken at home, reducing logistical and occupational barriers to treatment," said Sen Smith. "However, unlike IV treatments, which are covered by a health plan's medical benefits with moderate to minimal copays, oral medications often have high, unaffordable copays.?It can add up to thousands of dollars in costs for patients each year and can cause many to delay or forego necessary care to treat their cancer. Our bill brings parity to these two kinds of treatments and lowers costs for those taking oral cancer drugs."

More than 40 states - including Kansas - have passed "oral parity" laws at the state level to prevent insurers from charging more for prescribed oral cancer medicine than IV chemotherapy. The Cancer Drug Parity Act would expand these protections at the federal level. This legislation is supported by more than 35 organizations representing cancer patients and the medical community.

Specifically, this legislation would:

• Expand oral parity protections to privately-insured patients whose health care is regulated at the federal level;
• Prevent insurers from covering oral and self-administered medicines at different cost-sharing rates than IV chemotherapy; and
• Implement these requirements for health plans that already cover both oral and IV anticancer treatments.

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