NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WSMV) – Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law Friday that will require insurance companies to cover biomarker testing.
Biomarker tests can detect early signs of disease, including cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer’s. House Bill 0484 expands the coverage of biomarker testing for patients enrolled in state employee health insurance plans and TennCare.
After Lee signed the bill into law, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network said the legislation “will be a game-changer for thousands of Tennesseans.”
“We truly appreciate lawmakers’ attention to this important issue for countless Tennesseans. At ACS CAN, we want to make sure no one is left behind in the fight to end cancer, and we look forward to working with them in the future to further expand access to biomarker testing for more state-regulated health insurance plans,” said Maddie Michael, ACS CAN Tennessee government relations director.
Lung cancer survivor Stephen Huff shared his story with legislators as the bill moved through the General Assembly.
“This is the single most important thing that kept me alive this long,” Huff said. “We always dreamed of having a family, and with my diagnosis, we weren’t sure if it would ever be possible. Biomarker testing and precision medicine helped make that possible and has given me more time to be here with my wife and two kids.”
The bill will take effect in January.
