Please Support the TACT Act

We have written a lot about cancer medications. Yet, much work needs to be done. In this post, we request that you please support the TACT Act.

Timely Access to Cancer Treatment: Please Support the TACT Act

The newly-proposed TACT Act legislation has a long way to go successfully be enacted into law. Thus, if you see the merits of the proposal, please contact your congressman or congresswoman. For us victims of cancer, silence is not golden. 

As the following press release notes:

U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), introduced H.R. 3258, the Timely Access to Cancer Treatment (TACT) Act of 2021. This legislation would require that patients with cancer be provided their oral cancer drugs within an acceptable time frame.

Patients’ access to the appropriate cancer treatment within a reasonable time frame is increasingly challenged by our complex health care delivery system. This is especially true for oral cancer drugs. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), health insurance plan sponsors, and specialty and mail order pharmacies are notorious for slowing down the process by which patients receive their oral cancer drugs. Even in cases where an oncology practice can provide those drugs at the site of care via an in-house pharmacy or dispensing facility. In some cases, PBMs etc. even disallow the drugs prescribed.

The TACT Act provides a simple solution by requiring that patients be provided their oral cancer drugs within an acceptable time frame of 72 hours, allowing for situations – such as acquiring financial support – that are understandable and acceptable.

To access the full text of the proposed legislation, click the image.

.