Cancer activitists welcome House passage of Patients' Bill of Rights

American Cancer Society
Friday, 3 August 2001

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization, congratulated the United States House of Representatives for passing the "Bipartisan Patient Protection Act" (H.R. 2563), also known as the Patients' Bill of Rights, and for taking an important step toward enactment of strong, comprehensive patient protection legislation. Provisions in the bill enabling patients with serious and life threatening diseases access to specialists, continuity of care, and enrollment in a broad range of clinical trials - including Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical trials - are an important victory for cancer patients. The Society takes no position on the liability provisions in the bill and urges Congress to resolve that issue so the strong patients protections in the measure can become law.

"It's been a marathon, but we are one step closer to the finish line. The end is in sight and it's up to Congress to take the last steps," said John C. Baity, Chairman of the Board of the American Cancer Society. "We are pleased that all sides agreed on the important patient protections in the Ganske-Dingell bill which will provide cancer patients with improved quality of care and fewer obstacles to a full recovery. The Society will continue to employ its network of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and volunteers to urge quick consideration by the conference committee and enactment of a strong, comprehensive Patients' Bill of Rights."

The House bill contains the same strong patient protections included in the Senate-passed bill, including requiring 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.

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