SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Ahead of a Central Illinois cancer institute opening later this year, new state legislation now prevents insurance providers from applying a higher standard of coverage for proton beam therapy compared to other cancer treatments.
Proton beam therapy is a form of cancer radiation therapy that uses focused beams to mark the depth and location of cancerous cells, and to target the tumor rather than the surrounding healthy tissue. The new law aims to ensure fair insurance coverage for transfer treatment using the proton beam method.
“We must supply the most effective treatment possible to cancer patients,” said State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), who spearheaded the initiative. “The advancement of health technology must coincide with the advancement of our insurance coverage policies.”
There is currently one medical center in Illinois that offers proton beam therapy: Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. However, OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria is opening a $250 million facility at the end of February which will heavily focus on the treatment.
“We must ensure that necessary care is cost effective,” Koehler said. “People deserve to have access to the highest quality of care at the lowest possible rate.”
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