{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-sens-tina-smith-jerry-moran-introduce-bipartisan-bill-make-life-saving-oral-cancer-medications", "U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Jerry Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Life-saving Oral Cancer Medications More Affordable", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "MN", "Tina Smith", "S001203", "www.smith.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/12/18]\u2014Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) introduced legislation\u2014also supported by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)\u2014to make sure oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional (IV) chemotherapy to bring down costs for Americans suffering from cancer. Sens. Smith and Moran said their bipartisan bill, the Cancer Drug Parity Act, is needed to make sure that health insurance plans fairly cover advances in oral cancer medication.\n\nCurrently, over 40 states\u2014including both Minnesota and Kansas\u2014and the District of Columbia have passed \u201coral parity\u201d laws that stop insurers from charging more for prescribed oral cancer medicine than IV chemotherapy. The Cancer Drug Parity Actwould build on this work by expanding these protections at the federal level.\n\n\u201cAdvances in cancer treatment have made it possible for Americans to get life-saving oral cancer medication. This means people can now take the life-saving medicine they need without having to leave their homes, and in a far less intrusive way than traditional IV chemotherapy,\u201d said Sen. Smith. \u201cBut since oral cancer medications are self-administered, many people are having to shell out more dollars because this medication isn\u2019t covered the same way as IV treatments. My bipartisan bill with Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas would put a stop to charging more for oral cancer drugs because we should be doing all we can to make life-saving cancer treatment more affordable for all Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cIndividuals suffering from cancer deserve treatment options available through their insurance,\u201d said Sen. Moran. \u201cAs the number of oral cancer drugs increase each year, patients ought to be able to immediately benefit from these medical advancements. This sensible legislation would keep health insurance on pace with the latest cancer treatments, build on laws already implemented in 43 states and expand cancer coverage for oral drugs for 100 million individuals covered through group and individual health plans. I am a strong supporter of medical research to find new treatments, therapies and cures, and I am working to make certain these exciting new treatments can reach cancer patients and ultimately save lives.\u201d\n\nThe Cancer Drug Parity Act is supported by more than 30 organizations, including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.\n\n\u201cScience is dramatically changing the way cancer is treated. Even with these breakthroughs, too many cancer patients can\u2019t access their treatments because insurance rules have not kept pace with innovation,\u201d said Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D., President and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. \u201cThe Cancer Drug Parity Act will eliminate the financial barriers that stand between many cancer patients and the breakthrough treatments that could save their lives. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society applauds Senator Smith and Senator Moran for their leadership on behalf of cancer patients and stands ready to work with Congress to move this important bill forward.\u201d\n\nThe Cancer Drug Parity Act would:\n\nPrevent insurers from covering oral and self-administered medicines at different cost-sharing rates than IV chemotherapy\n\nNot mandate that healthcare plans provide chemotherapy coverage, but rather only apply to plans already covering chemotherapy\n\nYou can access a summary of the bill here and full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-sens-tina-smith-jerry-moran-introduce-bipartisan-bill-make-life-saving-oral-cancer-medications"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7253649421036243, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}