SACRAMENTO- Twenty states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to ensure cancer patients have affordable access to chemotherapy. The Access to Cancer Treatment Act, which would add California to that list, was approved in the Senate Health Committee late Wednesday.

AB 1000-Access to Cancer Treatment Act, was introduced by Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D-Fresno) and would increase access to life saving chemotherapy by requiring health plans and insurers to cover oral medication for cancer treatment at the same affordable cost as intravenous treatments.

"Too many California cancer patients are making co-payments of as much as $8,000 a month for pill form chemo while traditional IV treatments are covered with a small co-pay," Assemblymember Perea said. "Pill form chemo treatments account for more than 25 percent of new cancer therapies and we need to make sure California patients have access these treatments."

AB 1000 is supported by the following agencies and will now be heard in Senate Appropriations:

American Cancer Society
Association of Northern California Oncologists
California Healthcare Institute
California Medical Association
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
California Professional Firefighters
International Myeloma Foundation
Latinas Contra Cancer
Leukemia Lymphoma Society

Assemblymember Henry T. Perea represents the 31st District in the California State Assembly which includes the central San Joaquin Valley communities of Cutler-Orosi, Dinuba, Firebaugh, Fowler, Kerman, Mendota, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, San Joaquin, Selma and the city of Fresno.

Contact: Alisha Gallon 661-364-3655