JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers have sent a bill to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk that would reduce the cost of prescription chemotherapy drugs after insurance companies, pharmacists and patient advocacy groups reached a compromise after years of debate.
For several years, Missouri has debated a bill that would require insurance companies to offer chemotherapy pills taken orally — as opposed to the traditional intravenous treatment — at an affordable price. Currently, oral chemotherapy treatments are not covered if intravenous treatment is available to a patient. Proponents have long argued that not all cancer patients need intravenous treatment to battle their disease, and that not allowing access to medication that can be taken at home places a burden on patients.
“The average employee with cancer misses 26 days of work annually going to a hospital to get the IV chemo,” Rep. Shelia Solon, R-Blue Springs, said. Solon sponsored the House version of the bill. “They miss an additional 18 days because of side-affects which often don’t occur with the pill version of the treatment. It just makes sense to give cancer patients as many options as possible.”
Solon has sponsored the bill for 3 years and says that in its first year she couldn’t even get a hearing. But as interested parties focused on hammering out a compromise, Solon and her fellow lawmakers worked on the issue during the interim. Solon attached language to senate legislation calling for an actuarial study and an interim committee on the issue.
Rep. Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, chaired the committee. Solon says Richardson’s leadership on the committee and the study gave supporters the ammunition they needed to move the bills forward.
“We used that interim committee to really talk to everyone involved and come to an agreement that would be good for everyone and still help patients,” Solon said. “The reason this bill is going to the Governor’s desk is because of the work we have done during the interim on the issue.”
Solon worked closely with Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, Majority Leader John Diehl, R-Town and Country, as well as senators Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, and Brian Munzlinger, R-Lewis County, to help move the bill across the finish line.
“There were no egos involved in getting this done,” Solon said. “It’s really refreshing to see us all come together and do something that will truly help Missourians.”
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
