The coverage requirement only applies if the biomarker is recommended by the FDA, CMS or nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines, according to a May 5 press release.
“These types of tests have become a crucial part of cancer and other disease therapies and should be available to everyone who wants one,” Mr. Ducey said. “Biomarker tests save lives. They help doctors determine the best course of treatment, prevent unnecessary treatments and will help us cure diseases like cancer in the future. No one should be denied this information.”
Biomarker testing provides information about the presence of a disease or mutation within a patient and can determine whether a proposed treatment is likely to work. The bipartisan new law was signed at the Dignity Health Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.
The governor said Arizona joins just a handful of other states that require insurance plans to cover biomarker testing.
