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Oral Chemo parity legislation gearing up for 2014

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A coalition of organizations fighting cancer is once again looking to pass legislation that would require insurance coverage parity of both oral and intravenous cancer treatments. Currently, 27 states have such legislation, which requires insurance companies offering cancer treatment to charge identical out-of-pocket expenses for both forms of treatment. 3

The issue has attracted attention from out of state. Alongside Missouri lawmakers stood Oklahoma state senator and Majority Whip Greg Treat, who sponsored similar language in his home state.

“I consider myself a staunch conservative and I stand up against mandates, but this isn’t a mandate,” Treat said. “All this does is tell insurance companies that if they choose to offer cancer treatment plans, they have to allow patients equitable access to all forms of cancer treatment.”

At a press conference earlier today, the Missouri Coalition for Cancer Treatment Access told a crowd that the issue had more momentum than ever, and that bi-partisan support would be the key to moving the issue to the governor’s desk.

Debbie Kersting, Executive Director for the St. Louis branch of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, said that in the last few years, data has clearly supported their legislation.

“The data says that if premiums do go up, as insurance companies claim, it’s extremely minimal,” Kersting said. “And there is a clear benefit to providing oral chemotherapy treatment. The average cancer patient misses 26 workdays just getting intravenous chemotherapy. That’s an economic impact as well.”

Kresting spoke yesterday to both the Democratic caucus and the ALEC conference with Republicans yesterday, hoping to encourage more support and dispel misinformation.

In Missouri, state senators Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City and Brian Munzlinger, R-Lewis County, will carry the legislation in the upper chamber while Rep. Shelia Solon, R-Blue Springs plans to sponsor the legislation in the House.

Solon said she anticipated some momentum in the House, specifically citing Rep. Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, who gave the bill a friendly hearing in his house committee last year on Emerging Issues in Healthcare.

“I think more and more lawmakers are beginning to understand that since 2008 27 states have done this and we have the data that shows it saves lives and is sound policy,” Solon said