New Arizona law: insurance must cover cancer biomarker tests

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - A bill signed into law by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey requires health insurers and the state’s medicaid plan to pay for so-called “biomarker tests” that are needed for many modern cancer treatments.

The legislation’s signing was hailed by the American Cancer Society, which called biomarker testing a critical step in assessing precision cancer treatments.

Measuring the presence of certain biomarkers such as gene mutations allows doctors to better target certain cancers and can lead to fewer side affects and better quality of life and survival rates.

The bill passed with overwhelming support in the legislature.

It was backed by several major hospitals, pharmaceutical and testing companies and the cancer society, among others.

But it was opposed by several major health insurers and the greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.