A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan (or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) to provide for cost-sharing for oral anticancer drugs on terms no less favorable than the cost-sharing provided for anticancer medications administered by a health care provider.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 15, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The Cancer Drug Parity Act of 2026 requires employer-sponsored health plans to charge patients the same out-of-pocket costs for oral cancer medications taken at home as they do for cancer drugs administered by doctors through injection or intravenous infusion. The bill applies to all group health plans and their affiliated insurance coverage, affecting millions of workers and their families who receive health insurance through their employers. Plans cannot circumvent this requirement by raising costs for all cancer medications, reclassifying benefits, or applying stricter limits to oral drugs compared to injected ones, though they can still require prior authorization and other standard utilization controls. The law takes effect for plan years beginning on January 1, 2027, giving health plans time to adjust their coverage structures. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must complete a study within two years to evaluate how the law affects patients' out-of-pocket costs and provide Congress with recommendations on improving access to oral cancer medications.
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