NEW YORK – The Indiana Legislature on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 273 requiring health plans to provide biomarker testing coverage for patients. The bill has now been sent to the desk of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, for a signature.
The bill, sponsored by Indiana Sens. Ed Charbonneau, R-District 5, and Vaneta Becker, R-District 50, and Rep. Brad Barrett, R-District 56, ensures that patients covered by a health plan, including Medicaid, will receive biomarker testing for diagnosing, treating, and managing their disease when supported by medical and scientific evidence. Coverage is not required, however, for biomarker testing for screening purposes.
"This legislation will help address a significant barrier and bring the promise of precision medicine to more Hoosiers no matter their income or where they live," Allie Kast, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in Indiana, said in a statement. According to ACS CAN, more than 14,000 Indiana patients will die from cancer in 2024.
Beyond Indiana, 15 other states — Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Texas — have enacted similar legislation, and in 15 other states, bills have been introduced or are expected in 2024. Meanwhile, commercial payors are scrambling to figure out how to adjust their policies to comply.