North Carolina lawmakers have taken a critical step in efforts to reduce the cancer burden by introducing House Bill 567. If passed, the legislation would allow more North Carolinians to access biomarker testing, which has become an increasingly important part of cancer care.
Patients who are diagnosed with certain types of cancer can receive biomarker testing to help providers determine the most effective form of treatment. It can save patients from starting treatments that may not end up working. Thus, biomarker testing can help save critical time in a cancer fight.
This form of precision medicine has become widely used and relied upon in cancer care in recent years, and it’s increasingly important for other disease areas as well. Unfortunately, some people are not benefiting from the latest advancements, which can contribute to widening disparities in access to the most appropriate and effective treatments.
“By aligning coverage for biomarker testing with the latest science, we can help increase access to precision medicine that can save lives, improve health outcomes and potentially reduce costs,” said John Broome, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in North Carolina.
ACS CAN thanks Reps. Diane Wheatley, Howard Penny, Grant Campbell and Ben Moss for sponsoring the bill and looks forward to working with them on passage this year.
The bill filing comes ahead of ACS CAN’s Cancer Action Day on April 16, when more than 50 volunteers from around the state will travel to the General Assembly to meet with lawmakers about the bill. The volunteers include several cancer survivors who benefitted from biomarker testing.
To date, 21 states have passed legislation to ensure coverage of biomarker testing, including Georgia, Florida and Kentucky.