Legislation to provide an alternative cancer treatment to Tennessee’s state employees has been vetoed by Gov. Bill Haslam.
The bill would have required insurance coverage for proton therapy, a radiation that treats brain, lung, breast and neck cancers, but is not covered by insurers in Tennessee, The Tennessean reports.
The bill had been approved in the Tennessee House, 82-13, and in the Senate, 29-1.
The governor said the legislation "circumvents" an established process for determining employee insurance coverage.
"The state is committed to high-quality care that is medically appropriate and fiscally responsible for patients and taxpayers, but this mandate could put patients at risk and expose them to excessive charges from out-of-network providers,” he said.
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