JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Speaker Tim Jones and the members of the Missouri House of Representatives gave overwhelming bipartisan support Thursday morning to legislation that would make life-saving oral chemotherapy treatments more affordable and accessible. The House approved SB 668 by a vote of 147-6 and sent it to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Jones called the passage of the bill a huge win for Missourians who deserve affordable access to the best cancer-fighting treatments currently available.
“The current system has made these life-saving treatments cost prohibitive for many Missouri families, and that is something we simply cannot allow to continue,” said Jones, R-Eureka. “I am extremely pleased with how Rep. Sheila Solon and my colleagues in both the House and Senate came together to address this pressing issue. With this much-needed change, we can eliminate the cost barrier and put the emphasis on access to quality care.”
Jones emphasized the fact that an actuarial study confirmed that the change would have little to no effect on insurance premiums in Missouri.
SB 668 would bring insurance coverage parity to both forms of chemotherapy – intravenous (IV) and pill form – by simply requiring plans to cover oral chemotherapy products if traditional chemotherapies are already covered. If signed into law by Governor Nixon, Missouri will join 28 other states that have already enacted oral chemotherapy access laws.
