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 Carter, 91, announced last summer he was undergoing treatment for
melanoma that had spread from his liver to his brain. The former
Democratic president, known for his unassuming style, said in
December that he was cancer-free but would continue to receive an
immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab, that helps the body's immune
system target cancer cells.
Under the new Georgia legislation, insurance companies would no
longer be allowed to require patients to first try conventional
cancer treatments before being prescribed immunotherapy drugs.
"Every Georgian with health insurance that covers cancer should have
the same access to cancer drugs as President Carter," the
legislation states. The title of the bill is the Jimmy Carter Cancer
Treatment Act.
The bill's sponsor, State Representative Mike Cheokas, a Republican,
represents Carter's hometown of Plains and received permission from
the former president's office before attaching his name to the bill,
the legislator said on Monday. The former president is a long-time
family friend, Cheokas added.
The legislator said he received an email from an advanced cancer
patient who, like Carter, was being treated at Emory University
Hospital in Atlanta but was not allowed by her insurance company to
receive the same drugs Carter received.
Instead, she was required to first take conventional treatment, the
legislator said.
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"She had to take a certain protocol and fail that before taking the
more effective drugs," Cheokas said. "This bill will save lives. It
cuts through the red tape."
The bill now heads to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal for his
signature. It was not clear how Deal, a Republican, will act on the
legislation. A representative for his office could not be
immediately reached on Monday.
Earlier this month, Carter said he will no longer need treatment but
will continue to be observed by doctors.
A spokeswoman for Carter did not immediately respond to a request
for comment on the bill.
(Reporting by David Beasley in Atlanta; Editing by Curtis Skinner
and Alan Crosby)
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