The American Cancer Society helped convene ralliers at the Missouri statehouse Wednesday to lobby for keeping the cost of treatment down.
More than 75 people met with legislators to speak about issues that affect those with cancer. Of interest to them, this year are two bills that have provisions that would ensure people who use assistance programs to pay for their medicine have that assistance count towards their out-of-pocket maximum.
Emily Kalmer, the American Cancer Society’s Missouri Government Relations Director, said cancer patients often have expensive specialty drugs that they need to get assistance to pay for.
“In recent years the insurance companies have not been allowing those copays to count to your out-of-pocket cost so then the patients don’t get the full value of their assistance,” Kalmer said.
SB 45 is on the Senate calendar to be considered by that body.
