NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Senate unanimously passed a bill to expand coverage of biomarker testing on Thursday, April 16, sending it to the desk of Gov. Bill Lee. SB0435 would expand coverage of biomarker testing for patients enrolled in state employee health insurance plans and TennCare. The Senate unanimously passed SB0435 with 30 votes. The Tennessee House previously passed the companion version of the bill on March 30.
In the case of a cancer diagnosis, biomarker testing helps doctors determine the right treatment path, saving some patients from treatments that may not work and waste time. It is also increasingly important for the treatment of other diseases, including Alzheimer’s, pre-eclampsia and arthritis.
“Coverage for comprehensive biomarker testing will enable more patients to access the most effective treatments for their disease and can help achieve the triple aim of better health outcomes, improved quality of life and reduced costs,” said Maddie Michael, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Tennessee government relations director.
Cancer patients who benefited from biomarker testing have also shared stories with legislators, including Stephen Huff of College Grove, a lung cancer survivor.
“This is the single most important thing that kept me alive this long,” Huff said of biomarker testing and the targeted treatments it unlocked. “We always dreamed of having a family, and with my diagnosis, we weren’t sure if it would ever be possible. Biomarker testing and precision medicine helped make that possible and has given me more time to be here with my wife and two kids.”
The bill now goes to the Governor’s desk, where he can sign it to increase access to biomarker testing for Tennesseans covered by TennCare or state employee health insurance. The Volunteer State could become the 24th state to pass legislation expanding coverage of biomarker testing, following in the footsteps of neighboring states like Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi.