Congressman Glenn Grothman is once again working with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to take aim at the cost of cancer treatments.
The Glenbeulah native and a group of six other legislators from both sides of the political aisle have introduced the Cancer Drug Parity Act which they say will lower costs for cancer patients prescribed oral medications by requiring that health insurers provide coverage for oral cancer treatments that are equivalent to conventional intravenous (IV) treatments.
The group says that each year, approximately two million Americans are projected to receive a cancer diagnosis.
For cancer patients, oral cancer treatments have proven to be a game-changer because they can be administered in the patient’s own home and are overall less intrusive than IV treatments.
Despite their proven success and reliability, oral medications have proved costly for patients.
A study of patients prescribed oral cancer medications found that one in eight faced copayments of $2,000 or more for their first prescription.
Grothman said of the measure, “I am glad both sides of the aisle have come together to lower costs for patients taking oral medications. Increased access to treatment, along with parity in the cancer drug marketplace, will improve patients’ well-being and help save lives.”
