State bill to help cancer patients moves to Senate

Cancer patients could receive help to continue the battle.

The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of alleviated medical costs for patients willing to participate in clinical trials furthering cancer research. The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration. If passed, the bill will take effect July 1.

Democratic representative and Bloomington native Peggy Welch, who authored the bill, said it is an important advancement in cancer care.

“This proposal is an important step to continue our fight against cancer,” Welch said in a statement. “It will allow patients who are battling cancer to access all options of care and treatment.”

According to a press release from the media office of the Democratic caucus, the bill would mandate that insurance companies pay routine costs for all participants. These expenses would be covered through commercial insurance, health maintenance organizations, state employee health plans and Medicaid.  

While Medicaid already covers fees for routine health services for preapproved clinical trials, the bill would require coverage for trials specific to cancer research.  

Among these costs are blood work, medication, CT scans and doctor visits, Welch said. Though nearly 20 percent of adult cancer patients nationwide are eligible to enroll in clinical trials, only 3 to 5 percent are currently enrolled, Welch said. Passage of the bill could ease costs for more patients, encouraging a higher percentage of patients to enroll.

Initial opposition to the bill was based on concerns that passage of such a plan “would result in an increase in benefit costs and an increase in health insurance premium costs,” said Mike Ripley, vice president of health care policy for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

The Indiana House of Representatives recognized these concerns, though, and amended the bill to ensure all costs would be paid by insurance companies or medical companies conducting the trials, Welch said. 

“Clinical trials bring us the state of-the-art therapies that improve the health outcome and help eliminate the uncomfortable and sometimes severe side effects often associated with the current standard therapies,” said Christina Nash, communications specialist for the American Cancer Society. 

For some patients with rare, more severe cancers, the only hope for survival is treatments provided through clinical trials, Nash said.

Working as a floor nurse since April 1996 in Bloomington Hospital’s cancer care unit helped inspire Welch to write the bill, according to the press release. After caring for cancer patients, Welch penned the measure in an effort to further cancer research, bringing the medical industry one step closer to overcoming the disease. 

“The purpose of the bill is to provide opportunities to have people have their life extended and continue research and study as we attempt to defeat cancer,” Welch said.