В Мэриленде требуют усилить контроль за исполнением закона о биомаркерном тестировании для онкопациентов

I am a 14-year survivor of triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly insidious and aggressive form of the disease that disproportionately takes the lives of Black women and women under 40. But I am not just a survivor. I am also the CEO and cofounder of TOUCH — The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. While our advocacy is national, TOUCH proudly calls Annapolis home. That is why I am speaking up now. Maryland has a powerful law on the books that can alter the course of treatment for a fast-growing range of deadly diseases. It is not an overstatement to say this law affects nearly every one of us in the state. Enacted in 2023, Maryland’s biomarker testing law ensures that patients can access the most up-to-date, personalized treatment pathways based on their unique biology. When certain scientific standards are met, coverage is mandatory. The law was designed to eliminate the exhausting, bureaucratic games insurers play of denying care. However, intent is not reality. Today, insurance companies are imposing arbitrary conditions to circumvent state law. The result? Patients are being denied coverage for lifesaving biomarker testing. This obstruction is occurring during a golden age of medical breakthroughs. Biomarker testing is no longer just the future of medicine; it is the present. We are seeing blood tests that can detect early signs of Alzheimer’s years before a brain scan shows any changes, and biomarkers that can diagnose and manage PTSD. For cancer patients, the impact is nothing short of seismic. A recent American Cancer Society survey found that 77% of patients who received biomarker testing said it improved their treatment, and more than half said it increased their likelihood of recovery. For Black breast cancer patients, this isn’t about convenience — it’s about survival. Black women have the lowest five-year breast cancer survival rate of any race or ethnicity. Although we are just as likely as white women to carry hereditary breast cancer mutations, our participation in genetic counseling and testing remains significantly lower. Biomarker testing helps close this deadly gap. But a law without enforcement is just a piece of paper. Passing the bill was only step one; now we must fight for compliance with the law. Maryland took a big step in the right direction in June, when the Maryland Insurance Administration issued formal guidance in the form of a bulletin for insurers to follow. This step resulted from months of advocacy in Maryland, which is one of 26 states with a biomarker testing law. The bulletin sends an important message, but guidance alone does not protect patients. Without meaningful enforcement, insurers can continue ignoring the law, and patients will continue paying the price. Other states with biomarker testing laws are taking additional steps to protect patients. For example, Mississippi will require every denial to be explained in writing. Maryland should take a similar step, so patients and physicians know exactly why coverage was refused and whether the insurer is complying with state law. Regulators should also conduct routine audits to identify patterns of unlawful denials before more patients fall through the cracks. For Marylanders living with breast, lung or colorectal cancer — not to mention diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Parkinson’s — an unenforced law is useless. Maryland can and should continue to take bold, forward-thinking action to enforce the law, rein in insurers and fully realize the lifesaving potential of biomarker testing. Ricki Fairley is the CEO and cofounder of the Annapolis-based TOUCH — The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. She is a national advocate dedicated to elevating Black women’s participation in clinical trials and recently launched the first advocacy-led nurse navigator outreach program to drive health equity.