Sacramento, Calif. — Today, State Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) introduced legislation to ensure comprehensive biomarker testing is covered by more health insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, when supported by medical and scientific evidence.
Senate Bill 496 aims to enable more Californians to benefit from biomarker testing, a critical step for accessing precision medicine, including targeted therapies, that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients.
“Biomarker testing can help healthcare providers render the best treatment options for patients, which is increasingly important for cancer care and the treatment of diseases like arthritis, other immune conditions and rare diseases,” said Sen. Limón. “This bill removes barriers to precision medicine and can potentially reduce overall healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and treatments.”
The bill -- sponsored by the America Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is an updated version of SB 912, which received unanimous, bipartisan support throughout the legislative process but was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom last year.
“Our lawmakers recognized that increasing access to biomarker testing will help more cancer patients -- regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, income, zip code, or insurance type – benefit from better and personalized care,” said Autumn J. Ogden-Smith, California Legislative Director for ACS CAN. “We are optimistic that California lawmakers will, once again, support this lifesaving legislation. We hope that the amended language will address Governor Newsom’s concerns and that he will take this new opportunity to reduce health disparities by bringing the promise of precision medicine to more Californians.”
The percentage of clinical trials that involve biomarkers has grown significantly (from 15% in 2000 to 55% in 2018); over one-third of the oncology drugs launched in the past five years require or recommend biomarker testing before use; and biomarkers provide doctors information about whether a patient will respond to treatment options.
However, insurance coverage for biomarker testing is failing to keep pace with innovations and advancements in treatment.
“This means that countless Californians are missing out on treatments that could help extend and improve their lives. Communities of color, individuals with limited income, rural residents and patients receiving care in non-academic medical centers are less likely to receive guideline-indicated biomarker testing,” said Ogden-Smith. “SB 496 will help address this injustice.”
For more information on precision medicine, cancer biomarkers, current barriers to biomarker testing and ACS CAN’s policy recommendations, visit www.fightcancer.org/biomarkers.
