The Mississippi House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation Wednesday that would require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover biomarker testing, a technology that helps ensure cancer patients get the correct treatment for the type of cancer they are faced with.
House Bill 565, which was passed by a 117-0 vote, mandates that insurers regulated by the Mississippi Insurance Department, including Medicaid and the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, provide coverage for biomarker testing when used for the diagnosis, treatment, appropriate management, or ongoing monitoring of a patient’s cancer.
Biomarker testing analyzes biological indicators, often through blood or tissue samples, to help doctors identity which treatments are most likely to be effective for a specific cancer. In some cases, the testing can help determine whether a patient is more likely to benefit from treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapies.
The bill is being referred to as “Jill’s Law” in honor of the late wife of Rep. Casey Eure, R-Saucier, who used biomarker testing following her cancer diagnosis. It was authored by House Health Committee Chairman Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany, and is supported by the American Cancer Society.
“In the case of a cancer diagnosis, biomarker testing helps doctors develop a personalized treatment plan so some patients can avoid treatments that won’t work for their individual disease. It can help save critical time in a cancer fight,” said Kimberly Hughes, government relations director for the ACS Action Network in Mississippi. “More than 18,000 Mississippians will hear the words, ‘you have cancer,’ this year. Everyone who can benefit from biomarker testing deserves access.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, where if it passes without amendments, it will go to Gov. Tate Reeves to be signed. It would include health plans that are entered into or renewed after July 1, 2026.