The following post appeared in the Editorial Section of the Buffalo News on April 17, 2010:

Apart of the health care reform story that has received little attention is the impact on cancer research and treatment, which holds tremendous economic promise for Western New York in particular.

In 1898, Buffalo brought cancer research to the world. Roswell Park was the nation’s first comprehensive cancer center, and we have been a national leader ever since. The Affordable Care Act, which became law in March, contains several important reforms that will result in unprecedented levels of support for the thriving community of cancer researchers and doctors in Western New York.

The law makes it much easier for cancer patients to receive the treatment they need. Before this bill became law, young people who had cancer had a very difficult time obtaining health insurance when they got too old for their parents’ policy, because insurance companies refused to cover treatment of the “pre-existing condition” of cancer. The new law prohibits that, and it stops insurance companies from dropping current patients when they contract a costly disease like cancer.

The law also prevents insurance companies from instituting annual and lifetime financial caps on costs they will cover. This is especially important in treating expensive diseases like cancer.

The law also guarantees that cancer patients can access the pharmaceuticals their doctor prescribes. It requires insurance plans to provide coverage for cancer clinical trials, because some insurance companies refuse to pay for treatments they consider “experimental,” even if the doctor believes that treatment is the best course of action for the patient. And the law closes the “doughnut hole” in prescription drug coverage for seniors on Medicare.

These reforms mean that no American will ever have to worry that if he gets cancer, he won’t be able to pay for the expensive treatment because his health insurance company dropped coverage when he got sick. No longer will insurance companies force a cancer patient into cheaper treatment against the wishes of the patient and the doctor.

These reforms are particularly important in Western New York because we are home to one of the most dynamic cancer research communities in the United States. The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo brings together researchers, academics and medical practitioners at a single location. The cancer research and treatment being conducted there by Roswell Park, the Hauptman-Woodward Institute and others is groundbreaking.

But the medical campus is not just a national asset, it is also a tremendous economic asset to the local economy that supports more than 8,500 jobs and is continuing to grow. It is revitalizing Buffalo’s downtown core and attracting scientists and doctors to Western New York in impressive numbers, creating an economic ripple that can turn into a tidal wave if we continue to support it.

Rep. Brian Higgins represents the 27th Congressional District.