Sens. Moran, Smith Reintroduce Bill to Make Life-Saving Orally Administered Cancer Medications More Affordable

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today reintroduced the Cancer Drug Parity Act to bring down healthcare costs for cancer patients by making certain insurance companies cover orally administered cancer drugs in the same way as traditional intravenous (IV) chemotherapy.

“As the number of orally administered cancer drugs increase each year, patients ought to be able to immediately benefit from these medical advancements,” said Sen. Moran. “This sensible legislation would keep health insurance on pace with the latest cancer treatments, build on laws already implemented in 43 states and expand access to orally administered cancer drugs for 100 million individuals covered through group and individual health plans. I am a strong supporter of medical research to find new treatments, therapies and cures, and I will work to make certain these cutting-edge treatments can reach cancer patients and ultimately save lives.”

“Advances in cancer treatment have made it possible for Americans to get life-saving oral cancer medication. This means people can now take the life-saving medicine they need without having to leave their homes, and in a far less intrusive way than traditional IV chemotherapy,” said Sen. Smith. “But since oral cancer medications are self-administered, many people are having to shell out more dollars because this medication isn’t covered the same way as IV treatments. I’m reintroducing my bipartisan bill with Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas to put a stop to charging more for oral cancer drugs because we should be doing all we can to make life-saving cancer treatment more affordable for all Americans.”

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