To the Editor:

I recently traveled from Shelbyville to the statehouse in Nashville to represent cancer patients and survivors. I called on our state lawmakers to make reducing barriers to care for cancer patients in Tennessee a priority. I was honored to be joined by more than 100 of my fellow American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteers from across the state.

I met with Senator Shane Reeves and State Representative Pat Marsh, and made it clear that the state legislature needs to put politics aside on behalf of all those Tennesseans who will hear the words “you have cancer.” Since so many Tennesseans will hear the words “you have cancer” this year, I asked our lawmakers to support legislation to reform a practice known as step therapy. Through step therapy, a patient may be required to try, then fail, on alternative drugs selected by their insurance company before coverage is granted for the drug prescribed by the patient’s health care provider.

This matters to me because …

My fellow volunteers and I let our lawmakers know that we are all are counting on them to take a stand against cancer by supporting what works to treat it. It’s time to end this devastating disease as we know it.

Matthew Ray

Shelbyville

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