Oregon Legislature Passes Bill to Protect Cancer Patients from White Bagging

We are excited to announce that the Oregon legislature has passed a significant bill, now signed into law, that prohibits health benefit plans from mandating white bagging for clinician-administered cancer drugs.

The passage of HB 4012 is the culmination of months of dedicated advocacy by physicians from Willamette Valley Cancer Institute (WVCI) and Compass Oncology. Key advocates included Dr. Matthew Lonergan (WVCI), Dr. David Cosgrove (Compass), and Dr. Ian Schnadig (Compass), who provided critical public testimony highlighting the detrimental impact of white bagging on patient care and the increasing trend of payers steering patients toward their own specialty pharmacies. This measure is set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Dr. David Cosgrove of Compass Oncology recently authored a letter to the editor, published by the Oregonian, expressing gratitude to the bill’s sponsors for prioritizing patient choice and safety. You can read his letter here.

This bill represents a major victory for community oncology practices and a crucial step forward in ensuring that cancer patients receive the best possible care without unnecessary interference from insurance payers.