Yesterday, at Virginia G.
Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, we celebrated Governor Brewer
signing my cost-parity bill for oral anticancer drugs. HB 2078 is one of the
bills I was proudest to sponsor last session.
Beginning January 1,
2016, health insurance companies will not be allowed to charge cancer patients
different amounts for oral treatment versus injections or those administered
intravenously. Now instead of being financially pressured into one type of
treatment, patients can consult with their doctors and families and make
healthcare decisions based on the patient’s individual
circumstances.
With the passage and
signing of HB2078, I’m very pleased that our elected officials did the right
thing to stand up and represent all cancer patients. By requiring insurance
plans that already cover cancer treatments to treat all cancer drugs equally, it
is now up to patients working with their doctors to decide what is the best
available course of treatment for their condition. This also opens up a world of
affordable options for rural cancer patients who don’t live near a treatment
center.
HB 2078 will grant
patients more access, more affordability, and most importantly, more choice in
selecting their treatments.
Sincerely,
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