COLUMBUS, OHIO —Rep. Andrea White has reintroduced legislation that would increase access to biomarker testing, which can help determine the best treatment plan for a specific patient. Despite its benefits, access to biomarker testing has not kept pace with the rate of innovation due to several barriers, including lack of coverage by private health insurance and Medicaid programs, which Rep. White’s legislation would fix.
“Dubbed ‘the right treatment at the right time,’ precision medicine has played a critical role in improving cancer outcomes,” said Leo Almeida, government relations director, ACS CAN. “Over 77,000 Ohioans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Ensuring patients who could benefit have access to insurance-covered biomarker testing gives them the best chance of survival.”
ACS CAN thanks Rep. White for continuing to champion this important next step in ensuring cancer patients have access to precision medicine. Twenty other states have enacted biomarker legislation, and ACS CAN looks forward to working with the rest of the legislature to enact this critical legislation.
