VAHO Applauds Governor Spanberger’s Amendments to SB 271/ HB 483 to Protect Cancer Patient Access, Urges General Assembly Support
Richmond, Va., April 16, 2026 — The Virginia Association of Hematologists and Oncologists (VAHO) applauded Governor Abigail Spanberger’s amendments to SB 271, calling her action a major step toward protecting cancer patients from unintended consequences tied to untested state drug pricing policies.
Governor Spanberger’s amendments place a reenactment clause on the bill’s Maximum Fair Price-based upper payment limit provisions, ensuring those provisions cannot move forward without further study and a new vote of approval by the General Assembly in 2027.
VAHO said the Governor’s action reflects an important reality: when it comes to cancer care, policy changes can carry serious consequences.
“Governor Spanberger made the right call,” said Dr. Richard Ingram, President of the Virginia Association of Hematologists and Oncologists. “Cancer patients need policies that lower costs without putting access to treatment at risk. These amendments give Virginia time to examine the real-world impact before moving forward with a pricing model that could disrupt care in communities across the Commonwealth.”
VAHO has consistently supported efforts to make prescription drugs more affordable for patients. But the organization has also warned that state-imposed payment caps, especially those tied to a federal Medicare pricing structure, can create unintended problems if they do not reflect how cancer care is actually delivered.
Community oncology practices often purchase, store, prepare, and administer expensive therapies before reimbursement is received. If reimbursement is pushed below the actual cost of acquiring and delivering those drugs, practices may be forced to stop offering certain therapies, reduce services, consolidate, or shift care into more expensive hospital settings. That hurts the very patients the legislation is supposed to help.
“At the heart of this issue is the patient,” Ingram explained. “If a policy sounds good on paper but makes it harder for Virginians to get timely cancer treatment close to home, that is not truly serving those who need care.”
VAHO said the Governor’s amendments create conditions for a more serious review of how Maximum Fair Price concepts would work in Virginia, and whether they would actually lower out-of-pocket costs for patients rather than simply reshuffle financial pressure throughout the system.
The organization also emphasized that any future review of prescription drug affordability policy must include practicing community oncologists, especially those working in independent and community-based settings where many Virginians receive care.
“The people who understand these consequences best are the physicians caring for patients every day,” Ingram said. “Their voices belong at the center of this debate.”
VAHO urged members of the General Assembly to support Governor Spanberger’s amendments during the reconvened session.
“We appreciate the Governor’s leadership and her willingness to take a more careful, patient-focused approach,” Ingram said. “The General Assembly should follow her lead and support these amendments.”
About VAHO
The Virginia Association of Hematologists and Oncologists represents community-based physicians and providers across the Commonwealth committed to preserving access to affordable, local, high-quality, innovative, and personal care for patients with cancer and blood disorders.