Many Missouri Cancer victims are on the verge of getting more affordable treatments.
The legislature has sent Governor Nixon a bill requiring insurance companies offering Cancer treatment coverage to make oral chemotherapy coverage less costly. The bill says the companies cannot charge more than $75 a month more for oral chemotherapy coverage then they charge for injectable treatments.
The Senate passed the bill two weeks ago. The House passed it today. It goes into effect as soon as Governor Nixon signs it.
House sponsor Sheila Solon of Blue Springs says 25-35% of the new cancer treatments are in oral form. “This is a revolutionary new way that we’re going to be treating cancer in the future,” she says.  Â
Supporters of the bill say the new coverage law will make Cancer treatments easier and more convenient.  “Many times the oral chemotherapy directly targets the cancer cells,” Solon says. “Patients don’t get as sick. They don’t lose their hair and they’re not nauseous.” The use of chemotherapy pills also means patients don’t have to travel to hospitals for treatments, which can last several hours. Â
Solon says the $75 limit on additional premiums is important because “when patients, out of pocket, exceed the $100 they start splitting pills (and) skipping days.”Â
Before today’s House session, Solon was joined by Majority Floor Leader John Diehl and Speaker Tim Jones for a brief news conference: