Pryce Statement on Senate Immigration Package

June 12, 2007

Cancer Caucus Co-Chair Deborah Pryce Introduces Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act

Legislation Prevents Insurers from Denying Coverage of Cancer Clinical Trial Enrollees

Similar State Legislation Unveiled Concurrently in Ohio

WASHINGTON , DC – On Tuesday, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH) was joined by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) and Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY) to introduce the Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act (ACCTA), legislation to prevent health insurance companies from denying routine care coverage of cancer patients who seek treatment in a cancer clinical trial. Pryce, Capps and Israel unveiled their legislation at a press conference Tuesday in Washington, and were joined by Sheryl Freeman -- a cancer patient from Bellbrook, Ohio, as well as Dr. Michael A Caligiuri, Director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Clinical trials represent the final testing stage for medications, therapies and treatments before they are approved for widespread use, and are being performed by state-of-the art research hospitals and oncology centers all across the U.S. Before reaching the clinical trial stage, a cancer treatment or drug has already been analyzed and scrutinized for six years on average, and typically has an additional eight years of study in the clinical trials phase. Yet, despite the prospects for improved health or recovery, very few cancer patients enroll in clinical trials, having been told by their insurance company that it will no longer cover the costs associated with their routine care.

Said Pryce at the event, “According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.4 million people will be diagnosed this year with cancer. Last year, however, only 36,000 – a mere 3% -- of those patients enrolled in a clinical trial, fearing that their insurer no longer pay for the costs of their routine care. Often, the patients' only hope rests in a clinical trial, and this bill will allow them to focus their energies on beating this dreaded disease -- not dealing with the red tape of insurance companies.”

“Today, cancer patients for whom a clinical trial might be an option are left with an incomprehensibly difficult, life and death, Catch-22 decision – forego a life-prolonging treatment in fear of losing their health plan coverage, or enroll in a clinical trial and lose their routine care insurance coverage with devastating financial consequences,” Pryce added.

"The more patients who go into clinical trials, the quicker we can cure cancer. Rep. Pryce's bill, if passed, will bring us closer to the cure for cancer," said Dr. Michael Caligiuri, director of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“When do you stop fighting cancer? We say ‘never,’” says Sheryl Freeman, 60, a retired special education schoolteacher who lives in Bellbrook, Ohio, near Dayton. “I believe that no patient should be left behind.” Five years ago, Mrs. Freeman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma. And for most of these five years, Mrs. Freeman tirelessly attempted to enroll in a clinical trial offered at the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at Ohio State University Medical Center, but was told by her by her insurance company that it would deny her routine coverage if she entered the trial. Just last night, her insurance company capitulated, and informed her it would cover her routine care if she entered the clinical trial.

"Now, thankfully, I have options. But many others who desperately need access to clinical trials are being denied medical coverage by their insurance companies, and this needs to change. I am asking for a swift change in policy requiring health insurance companies to reverse their denials and start working as a valuable team player with researchers in clinical trials to improve the quality of care for cancer patients, starting today," Mrs. Freeman said.

Also today, State Senator Steve Stivers (16th Senate District) and Ohio House Democratic Leader Joyce Beatty (27th House District) introduced legislation in Columbus to prohibit a state regulated health care plan from excluding coverage for routine care if it is administered as part of an eligible cancer clinical trial. Both the federal and the state efforts are critically important. Currently, millions of cancer patients reside in states without clinical trials laws, and some current state clinical trial laws do not cover all cancer patients. Further, without a federal policy, cancer patients covered by self-insured Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plans – regardless of their state’s laws related to clinical trials – are not guaranteed coverage for benefits and services if they enroll in a potentially life-saving clinical trial.

The ACCTA mirrors legislation Pryce introduced in the 109th Congress. Pryce is Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus, and has authored the Access to Cancer Therapies Act, the Compassionate Care for Children Act, and the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. She is the recipient of the Congressional Leadership Award by the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers (ADCC), is a Member of the James Leadership Society of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, and was awarded the Distinguished Advocacy Award from the American Cancer Society (ACS) – the ACS’s highest honor.

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