Federal oral chemotherapy parity for self-funded employer plans

Oral anticancer drugs are usually covered under the pharmacy benefit with coinsurance on a specialty tier, while infused drugs fall under the medical benefit with a copay. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia have parity laws, but the federal ERISA statute exempts self-funded employer plans, which cover roughly two-thirds of workers with employer coverage. The Cancer Drug Parity Act has been introduced in successive Congresses to apply parity to all plans.