Pryor bill fighting for quicker access to lifesaving prescriptions for advanced cancer patients heads to governor’s desk

Today, Feb. 24, the Senate passed House Bill 1114. The bill, authored by State Rep. Cherrish Pryor (D-Indianapolis), prohibits state employee health plans, the health care marketplace and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) from requiring step therapy or "fail first" therapy. "Fail first" requires patients to try a drug preferred by their insurance company and fail to respond before they receive coverage for the prescription originally recommended by their doctor.

“Patients with advanced cancer cannot wait for effective treatment,” Pryor said. “Nobody should be denied coverage for a medication that may save their life due to the 'fail first' method. 

“Doctors know their patients best and treating stage IV or metastatic cancer is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Step therapy relies on generalized information about these diseases instead of the specific journey of each patient. Each person responds to certain prescriptions differently.  

“This bill allows doctors to determine the best course of treatment and for patients to immediately receive it. These individuals have already experienced so much pain and anxiety. They shouldn’t have to jump through these hoops with their insurance to get what they need. It shouldn’t be about cutting costs for insurance companies. It should be about ensuring patients have what they need to fight for their lives.

“I’m immensely grateful that this bill is headed to the governor’s desk. It will expand access to care for Hoosiers with advanced cancer, and it will help us move toward a lower death rate for cancer in the state of Indiana. Thank you to my co-authors, as well as Susan G. Komen, the Indiana Oncology Society, and the Livestrong Foundation, for your support. I will continue to advocate for expanded access to health care for Hoosiers.”