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Senate Votes to Improve Chemotherapy Access

October 18, 2017

LANSING, Mich. – Oct. 18, 2017 – The Michigan Senate today voted in favor of a bill to ensure oral chemotherapy is not subject to higher out-of-pocket costs than intravenous chemotherapy. It now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. In response, Andrew Schepers, Michigan government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released the following statement:
 
“Today, Michigan took an important first step to easing the burden of cancer and ensuring costs will not be a barrier to effective care. We’d like to thank the Senate, especially bill sponsor State Senator Goeff Hansen, for standing up for cancer patients.
 
“When offered oral chemotherapy as an alternative to intravenous chemotherapy, many Michiganders face high out-of-pocket costs that can deter them from following their doctors’ recommendations. And some types of cancer are only treatable through oral medications, meaning that price tag can keep many patients from even accessing effective care. That’s a matter of life or death.
 
“Michigan has the opportunity to join most other states that have put these protections in place. We thank the Senate for prioritizing this bill, and we ask the House to follow their lead.”
 
About ACS CAN

ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate organization of the American Cancer Society, dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.

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