A Valley lawmaker wants to control how much some cancer drugs cost.
A new bill would cap the amount insurance companies could charge for a chemotherapy pill at $100.
Insurance and health plans generally cover intravenous chemo treatments, but pills can cost thousands of dollars.
Assemblyman Perea said, "So what we're trying to do is make this more affordable and we want to make sure cancer patients make a decision on their treatment based on what drugs are best, what therapy is best versus what they can and can't afford it."
CBS47's medical expert Dr. Giati Dave says the difference in the costs has to do with how the drugs are classified. "Traditionally, chemotherapy drugs have been given through IV infusion and that's what's labeled as chemotherapeutic drugs, whereas the newer oral chemotherapeutic drugs fit into the drug-based coverage for patients," said Dr. Dave.
A similar bill was introduced last year but Governor Jerry Brown vetoed it.
