Cancer patients sometimes have to shell out thousands of dollars for prescription chemotherapy pills.
But, one Central Valley lawmaker wants to make getting well, more affordable.
The new bill would cap the amount insurance companies could charge for a chemotherapy pill prescription at $100.
Insurance and health plans generally cover intravenous chemotherapy treatments, other than a small co-pay.
But, pill prescriptions can cost thousand of dollars, even though they may be a better form of treatment for certain types of cancer.
The bill's author, Democratic Assemblyman Henry Perea of Fresno, says the high cost means many people who could benefit from the pills have to go without.
"We're talking about thousands of people throughout the state who can take advantage of this. People that are being denied access to treatment because they just simply can't afford it," said Perea. "So, we're trying to make this more affordable and we want to make sure cancer patients make a decision on their treatment based on what drugs are best, what therapies are best versus what they can and can't afford."
Perea introduced similar legislation last year, but Governor Brown vetoed it, saying the bill didn't distinguish between insurers who offered the pills at a reasonable cost and those who didn't.
Perea says he's been working with the governor and insurance companies to increase the chances of his current bill, passing.
