Sacramento, Calif. – American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) volunteers met virtually with state lawmakers Tuesday and urged them to pass legislation that would ensure comprehensive biomarker testing is covered by more insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, when supported by medical and scientific evidence. Biomarker testing is critical in accessing precision medicine, including targeted therapies that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients.
“Every year – as part of California Cancer Action Day – cancer patients, survivors and advocates from across the state meet with our lawmakers to remind them of the critical role they play to help foster health equity, reduce the cancer burden and save lives,” said ACS CAN California Lead Volunteer P. Kay Coleman. “This year, we’re also asking them to support expanding access to biomarker testing so that more cancer patients can benefit from precision medicine.”
Dubbed ‘the right treatment, to the right patient, at the right time,’ precision medicine has played a critical role in improving cancer outcomes. For example, patients with certain lung cancer types who received biomarker testing and targeted therapy had a 34% reduction in mortality. But to determine if a patient will benefit from certain targeted therapies, doctors must test for specific biomarkers (such as gene mutations) found in blood, tissues or other biospecimens.
Communities that have been under-resourced including communities of color, individuals with limited income, rural residents and patients receiving care in non-academic medical centers are less likely to receive recommended biomarker testing.
“We urge the legislature to pass this bill to help dismantle cost barriers and bring the promise of precision medicine to more cancer patients, regardless of their income, race or zip code,” said Autumn J. Ogden-Smith, California Legislative Director for ACS CAN. “Improving coverage for and access to biomarker testing across insurance types is key to reducing health inequities and improving cancer outcomes.”
Senate Bill 912, which was introduced by State Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), aims to enable more Californians to benefit from biomarker testing. The bill is currently in the State Senate where it will be heard at the end of April.
The group also urged lawmakers to pass the California Cancer Care Equity Act (SB 987) to ensure Medi-Cal enrollees who receive a complex cancer diagnosis have access to treatment at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, where they can benefit from emerging therapies, clinical trials and specialized treatment for particular types of cancer.
Additionally, ACS CAN volunteers requested a budget increase of $4.6 million for the California Cancer Registry, a vast repository of cancer data that provides vital information to public health officers and researchers to help determine cancer risk factors and study groupings of cancers in communities. With the appropriate, ongoing funding, the registry could implement changes that would provide real time data for researchers and clinical trials.
Approximately 189,220 Californians will be diagnosed with cancer this year. For more information on how ACS CAN is advocating for cancer patients and survivors on the local, state and federal levels or to learn more about how to get involved with our advocacy efforts visit FightCancer.org/CA.