NH Cancer Treatment Fairness Coalition Hails Unanimous Senate Passage of SB 137

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Amber Hillman
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: 508-450-8690
[email protected]

NEW HAMPSHIRE CANCER TREATMENT FAIRNESS COALITION HAILS UNANIMOUS SENATE PASSAGE OF SB 137 

Senate votes to pass bi-partisan legislation which will ensure affordable access to potentially lifesaving cancer treatments for Granite Staters   

MARCH 19, 2015 – CONCORD – The New Hampshire Cancer Treatment Fairness Coalition, a broad range of New Hampshire, regional and national patient advocacy, non-profit and trade organizations, today applauded the unanimous (23-0) vote of the New Hampshire State Senate to pass SB 137, legislation which will ensure affordable access to potentially lifesaving cancer treatments for Granite Staters. 

In a statement, Mike Rollo, director of government relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in New Hampshire, said:

“We are grateful to the State Senate for their strong vote in support of SB 137 today, recognizing the importance of establishing cancer treatment fairness in New Hampshire, and creating greater cost parity between oral and intravenous anticancer treatments.  We are thankful to our bill sponsors – Senators Jeb Bradley, Regina Birdsell, Andrew Hosmer, John Reagan and Jeff Woodburn – for their leadership on this important legislation, and to the members of the Senate Commerce Committee for their hard work and thoughtful deliberations.  Our growing coalition looks forward to making our case for cancer treatment fairness to members of the House of Representatives in the weeks ahead.”    

About SB 137 and Cancer Treatment Fairness:   The legislation remedies an antiquated benefit design involving oral and intravenous (IV) anticancer treatments, which has resulted in thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for many patients needing an oral anticancer treatment. SB 137 would address this problem by prohibiting health insurers from charging a higher cost-share for an oral anticancer medication than for one administered by IV.

Studies have found that high OOP costs directly impact patient compliance with oral anticancer medications, ultimately resulting in higher long-term health care costs.   Patients with an OOP cost greater than $200 were at least three times more likely to not fill their prescription than those with OOP costs of $100 or less.

To date, 36 states plus the District of Columbia have enacted similar legislation to control OOP costs for cancer patients, including all New England states, with the exception of New Hampshire. An estimated 8,090 Granite Staters will be diagnosed with cancer this year and over 2,730 will lose their battle with the disease. 

About the New Hampshire Cancer Treatment Fairness Coalition:  A broad range of New Hampshire, regional and national patient advocacy, non-profit and trade organizations have joined together to support SB 137 and bring oral chemotherapy parity to New Hampshire.   Coalition members include:

• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center  
• International Myeloma Foundation  
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• National Brain Tumor Society
• National Patient Advocate Foundation
• New England BIO  
• New Hampshire Breast Cancer Coalition  
• New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration
• New Hampshire Hematology Oncology
• New Hampshire Medical Society
• New Hampshire Nurse’s Association
• New Hampshire Nurse Practitioners Association
• New Hampshire Prostate Cancer Coalition  
• Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society  
• Prostate Health Education Network

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