WASHINGTON, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care (CIACC), convened by the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), applauds Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) for reintroducing the bipartisan Cancer Drug Parity Act, legislation that would ensure patients do not face higher out of pocket costs simply because their prescribed anticancer treatment is taken orally rather than administered intravenously.
As advances in cancer research continue to transform treatment, oral anticancer therapies have become the standard of care for many cancers. Yet outdated insurance benefit designs continue to leave many patients paying significantly more out of pocket for oral medications than physician administered therapies, creating financial barriers that can limit access to the treatment their healthcare provider recommends.
The need for modernized insurance coverage is reinforced by a recent Susan G. Komen study examining the impact of treatment administration on patients’ daily lives. According to the study, people receiving intravenous treatment were more than three times as likely as those receiving oral therapy to report that treatment had a significant impact on their productivity at work or school. The study also found that 54% of people receiving IV treatment frequently took paid time off from work and 33% frequently took unpaid leave, compared with just 5% and 9%, respectively, among those receiving oral therapies.
“The way a cancer treatment is administered should never determine whether a patient can afford it,” said Danielle Doheny, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the International Myeloma Foundation. “Oral therapies have become an essential part of modern cancer care, yet insurance coverage has not kept pace with these advances. The Cancer Drug Parity Act will help ensure treatment decisions are based on clinical need rather than financial barriers. We thank Senators Smith and Moran for their continued bipartisan leadership and urge Congress to advance this important legislation.”
Convened by the International Myeloma Foundation, CIACC brings together patient advocacy organizations, provider organizations, professional societies, and other stakeholders committed to ensuring equitable access to cancer care. Coalition members from across the oncology community expressed strong support for the legislation.
“The advent of effective oral therapies marked a significant change in the way many people with lymphoma and CLL are treated,” said Meghan Gutierrez, Chief Executive Officer, Lymphoma Research Foundation. “To ensure patients receive the most effective therapy at the right time, and achieve the best outcome, we must ensure access to these treatments. The Cancer Drug Parity Act is an important step to achieve this.”
“Oral therapies are an important cancer care advancement that can reduce the burden of care for some and can be not only the best option, but the only option for others, especially for those living with metastatic breast cancer,” said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. “Unfortunately, outdated insurance design often takes away patient and provider choice leaving these treatments out of reach for too many. Komen is proud to support the Cancer Drug Parity Act and applauds Senators Smith and Moran for their continued efforts to ensure breast cancer patients can choose the best treatment for them without erroneous barriers.”
“No colorectal cancer patient should pay more out of pocket simply because their treatment comes in pill form instead of through an IV,” said Anjee Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Fight Colorectal Cancer. “Oral therapies are standard of care for many colorectal cancer patients, and cost should never be the reason someone cannot access the treatment their doctor recommends. The Cancer Drug Parity Act closes that gap, and Fight Colorectal Cancer is proud to support it.”
“Providers, including hematology and oncology pharmacists, too often see patients forced to choose between the treatment that is best for them and the one they can afford. The proposed legislation seeks to eliminate this disparity and promote access to the most appropriate therapies for patients with cancer. If passed, the Cancer Drug Parity Act would ensure that oral anticancer therapies are covered on par with intravenous medications, allowing treatment decisions to be driven by a patient’s clinical needs rather than by financial constraints. We applaud Senators Smith and Moran for introducing the bill and urge Congress to quickly pass this important legislation,” said Amy Seung, President, Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association.
“Every day, oncology nurses see this disparity play out in real time, a patient whose most effective treatment happens to come in pill form, forced to weigh their care against cost sharing the IV administered counterpart would never face,” said Ryne Wilson, DNP, RN, OCN®, CNE, President, Oncology Nursing Society. “As oral chemotherapy becomes a growing standard of care, more of these treatments have no IV equivalent. That gap isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a barrier to the best possible outcome. ONS thanks Senators Moran and Smith for their bipartisan leadership and urges Congress to pass this commonsense fix.”
“The Cancer Drug Parity Act advances equitable access to cancer treatment by ensuring that patients are not subject to higher out of pocket costs based solely on how a medically necessary therapy is administered,” said Triage Cancer. “At Triage Cancer, we believe this legislation removes unnecessary financial barriers to care and helps ensure that treatment decisions are driven by clinical need, not cost.”
The Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care urges Congress to swiftly advance the Cancer Drug Parity Act to ensure patients have equitable access to medically necessary cancer treatments regardless of how those therapies are administered. As cancer care continues to evolve, insurance coverage must evolve with it so patients can access the treatment their healthcare provider determines is most appropriate. CIACC looks forward to continuing to work with Congress and stakeholders to advance this important legislation and ensure treatment decisions are guided by clinical evidence and patient need, not financial barriers.
About the Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care
The Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care (CIACC), convened by the International Myeloma Foundation, is a coalition of patient advocacy organizations, provider organizations, professional societies, and other stakeholders committed to ensuring patients have equitable and affordable access to medically necessary cancer treatments regardless of how those therapies are administered.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Danielle Doheny
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy
International Myeloma Foundation
DDoheny@myeloma.org
202-531-7954
