Cancer activists welcome Senate passage of Patients' Bill of Rights

American Cancer Society
Saturday, 30 June 2001

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization, congratulated the United States Senate for passing the Patient Protection Act of 2001 (S.1052), also known as the Patients' Bill of Rights and taking an important step toward enactment of strong, comprehensive patient protection legislation. Provisions in the bill enabling patients with serious and life threatening diseases to enroll in a broad range of clinical trials - including federally approved clinical trials - are an important victory for the Society. The Senate also was near unanimous in its support for a resolution affirming the importance of federally approved clinical trials.

"We are off to a running start, but much work remains to be done before we cross the finish line," said Daniel E. Smith, National Vice President of Federal and State Government Relations of the American Cancer Society. "Millions of cancer patients are now counting on the House of Representatives and President Bush to do their part to improve the lives of cancer patients who face obstacles in getting the care they need."

The Senate bill will require insurance companies to cover the routine care costs, such as blood work and physician visits, for patients choosing to enroll in clinical trials. Health plans already cover those same costs for patients receiving standard therapies-even when the therapies are ineffective. In many cases, clinical trials offer the only treatment option for patients with rare forms of cancer for which no FDA-approved treatments exist on the market. Currently, only three percent of cancer patients enroll in clinical trials, in part because of health insurers' refusal to cover routine care costs.

In addition to the clinical trials measures, cancer patients will also benefit from provisions that ensure greater access to medical specialists, including assuring patients continuity of care provisions that will prevent patients from being forced to switch physicians mid-treatment as a result of health plan changes.

The Society also supports strong, timely and independent grievance and appeals procedures proposed in the Act, but does not take a position on the liability provisions in the bill. The Society will continue to employ its network of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and volunteers to urge the House of Representatives and President Bush to support a strong, comprehensive Patients' Bill of Rights. Millions of Americans are affected by cancer, the second leading cause of death in the United States and Americans' number one health concern. An estimated 1.2 million Americans will be newly diagnosed with cancer this year. Another 550,000 Americans will die from the disease.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service. For information about cancer, call toll-free anytime 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org