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- Arkansas Pathologists, CAP-Backed Biomarker Bill Awaits Governor
On March 30, House Bill 1121, mandating coverage for biomarker testing, was sent to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for further consideration. The Arkansas Society of Pathologists (ASP), in collaboration with the CAP, advocated successfully for the bill to ensure mandated biomarker testing coverage must be supported by medical and scientific evidence.
The ASP-CAP amended bill mandates state-regulated health insurance plan coverage of biomarker testing for diagnosis, appropriate management, or ongoing monitoring of an enrollee’s disease or condition to guide treatment when supported by medical and scientific evidence. Additionally, the bill expedites prior authorization review for biomarker non-emergency requests within 72 hours and 24 hours for emergency requests.
In collaboration with ASP, the CAP worked with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Arkansas Medical Society (AMS) to ensure the bill reflects the ACS and CAP model policy principles in support of biomarker testing subject to medical and scientific evidence as delineated. The CAP additionally supports the expedited review or waiver of biomarker testing.
The bill will be considered by the governor in the coming weeks.