COLUMBUS, OHIO – Today, cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and advocates from across the Buckeye State gathered at the Statehouse to meet with their elected officials during the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s Cancer Action Day. They let lawmakers know that Ohio can and must do better to reduce the cancer burden by improving access to care.
Advocates met with lawmakers to ask them to support House Bill 8, which will improve access to biomarker testing. This legislation will help address the significant barrier of insurance coverage and bring the promise of precision medicine to more Ohioans, no matter their income or where they live. Biomarker testing opens the door to targeted therapies that can benefit patients by leading to better outcomes, improved quality of life, and, in some cases, reduced costs by bypassing ineffective therapies.
“As a dad to two young children with stage four colon cancer that has spread to my liver and lungs, I want everyone to have access to the best possible treatments,” said Luke Williams, an Ohio cancer patient. “Because biomarker testing plays a critical role in guiding my care, I want to share my story with lawmakers to help ensure that all Ohioans can access this game changing approach to cancer treatment.”
Advocates also asked lawmakers to provide better access to care by passing legislation to prohibit so-called copay accumulator adjustments. Passing this legislation will require that all prescription drug payments made by patients, directly or on their behalf, count toward their overall out-of-pocket maximum or deductible, making cancer treatment more affordable.
An estimated 78,030 Ohioans will be diagnosed with cancer, and 24,590 are expected to die from the devastating disease this year. Those gathered at the Statehouse today are calling on Ohio lawmakers to change this by prioritizing the fight against cancer.