INDIANAPOLIS – On Wednesday, cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers from across the state traveled to the capitol in Indianapolis to meet with their elected officials. They let their lawmakers know that Indiana can and must do better to prevent cancer and reduce suffering and death by improving access to care and reducing tobacco use.
Advocates asked lawmakers to support legislation that would improve access to biomarker testing, a game changer in the fight against cancer and an essential step in accessing precision medicine treatments by ensuring state-regulated health insurance, including Medicaid, covers appropriate biomarker testing for patients who could benefit. Dubbed ‘the right treatment at the right time,’ precision medicine has played a critical role in improving cancer outcomes. Despite its benefits, health insurance coverage of biomarker testing has not kept pace with innovations in treatment.
“Biomarker testing has given me better, more effective treatment options, a better chance of surviving cancer, and more time with my family,” said Keith Hollingsworth, a husband and father of two young boys and stage 4 colorectal cancer patient. “I let our lawmakers know that they should expand coverage for biomarker testing and give more Hoosier access to precision medicine and a better chance of surviving cancer.”
Furthermore, advocates reminded legislators to prioritize fact-based legislation, including significantly increasing taxes on all tobacco products and investing in tobacco control programs to reduce tobacco use in the state. Indiana’s high tobacco use rates among adults and youth are a leading cause of preventable death and more must be done to reduce Big Tobacco’s grip on the state.
This year, an estimated 42,710 Hoosiers will be diagnosed with cancer and 14,280 are expected to die from the devastating disease. Those gathered at the capitol today are calling on Indiana lawmakers to change this by taking steps to prioritize the fight against cancer.
