“The insurer said that the procedure, called histotripsy, wasn’t medically necessary and that it was considered 'experimental and investigational.'”

“Becky Tennant submitted medical records, expert opinions and data as part of several attempts to appeal the denial.”

“Nothing worked, she told lawmakers, until KFF Health News and NBC News got involved and posed questions to the Public Employees Insurance Agency about her husband’s case. Only then did the insurer reverse its decision and approve histotripsy.”

“Within one week of the reversal in late May, Eric Tennant was hospitalized. His health continued to decline, and by midsummer he was no longer considered a suitable candidate for the procedure.”

“West Virginia’s Public Employees Insurance Agency enrolls nearly 215,000 people — state workers, as well as their spouses and dependents.”

“The new law, which will take effect June 10, will allow plan members who have been approved for a course of treatment to pursue an alternative, medically appropriate treatment of equal or lesser value without the need for another approval from the state-based health plan.”

“Had the bill been in effect last year, said Delegate Laura Kimble, the Republican from Harrison County who introduced the legislation, Tennant could have undergone histotripsy without preapproval, because it was a less expensive alternative to chemotherapy, which had already been authorized by the insurer.”