“I’m never going to be able to afford that treatment.”

When those words come out of a patient’s mouth, it hurts. If it happened once, that would be one thing. But sadly, as an oncology nurse, I hear that statement far too often from people who never thought they’d face cancer or that they wouldn’t be able to afford it.

Can you imagine being told you have cancer but can’t afford to treat it? There is even a term for what patients face – financial toxicity – like other side effects from treatment.

I know that most often these folks have insurance. And when you have insurance, you assume you have coverage for when you get sick. But no one has enough insurance to cover all the costs of cancer and it’s time for that to change. Congress can make that change this year.

The problem starts with the way insurance companies classify different types of anti-cancer treatments. Most people think of receiving these treatments at a doctor’s office hooked up to an IV, and for many years that was true. In some cases, IV treatment is the best choice for a patient’s cancer. But science has also given us new options, that can be more effective for the patient, and in some cases are the only treatment available. These oral medications can be a game-changer for patients who need them. And use of oral anti-cancer medications is growing.

But insurers look at these two treatment options very differently. They often deny coverage or impose huge out of pocket costs for the oral medication despite that doing so puts the patient at risk and violates the doctor-patient relationship by ignoring a prescribed treatment plan, in favor of saving money.

The Cancer Drug Parity Act will end the out-of-pocket cost disparity for orally administered cancer treatments for the approximately 140 million patients covered by federally regulated health plans. Hopefully, commercial insurers will follow their lead, which is why passing this is so important.

This bipartisan legislation ensures that any health plan covering cancer care offer patients the same level of cost-sharing for all forms of cancer medicine.

Passing this legislation is critically important, as between 25-35% of cancer treatments being developed are oral. Studies have shown that prescription fills increased when there was a zero-dollar cost sharing – from 15% to more than 50%. That means more people will get the treatment they need. It will close the gap between those who can afford their cancer treatment and those who cannot.

More than 40 states – though not North Carolina – have passed similar legislation, but those laws only cover insurance plans regulated at the state level. To ensure all Americans are protected, the federal government must also enact the Cancer Drug Parity Act.

The most important reason for a patient to be prescribed an oral anti-cancer treatment is because it is what their oncology team thinks is best for them. Other supporting reasons can range from fear of needles to travel considerations and the ability for patients to take their own treatments without going to the hospital or clinic.

Whatever the reason, that decision needs to be made by the patient and their oncologist – not the insurance company.

It’s imperative that Congress pass the Cancer Drug Parity Act. It may make a difference to you now or in the future should you need it. Please, ask your representatives to support the bill before the end of this legislative session.

Deborah Mayer is an advanced practice oncology nurse with almost 50 years of experience working with people who have cancer She is past national president of the Oncology Nurses Society and a professor emeritus at UNC School of Nursing.