A new law took effect this year that requires health insurance companies to cover newly developed precision genetic treatments for cancer patients.
River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot authored the law which was signed last June. He said it fills a coverage gap for cancer patients wanting to try new procedures.
“It requires insurance companies to provide three months of prescribed therapy targeting a specific genetic mutation regardless of the exact location of the occurrences of cancer in the patient’s body,” said Talbot.
The bill passaged unanimously in both chambers.
Talbot said the new law was inspired by the experience of one of his friends who had breast cancer.
“It was my good friend and colleague Julie Stokes who brought me this issue because this happened to her,” said Talbot.
Talbot said before this law went into effect most cancer patients couldn’t get health insurance coverage for these types of treatments without putting up a serious fight.
“It often resulted in months of appeals, and in the worst-case scenario the death of the patient while they are trying to get this specialized genetic treatment,” said Talbot who adds cancer patients who were denied coverage for this treatment as recently as last month should now be eligible to have it covered.
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