“The veto would be unfortunate for those patients whose physician has determined with them that proton therapy is the best remedy,” he told HCB News. “The bill is about creating the dialogue on proton therapy; it’s about protecting the patient-physician relationship. The governor makes the point that this is a mandate. We’re not mandating that business do anything. We’re mandating that the state do something.”

The veto comes as Provision CARES Proton Therapy nears completion of its $100 million cancer-treatment center in Franklin.


The Knoxville-based medical provider expressed its frustration with the government in a statement, saying that such actions block patient and physician input, and place the decision for what should be covered in the hands of insurers who seek to ration healthcare expenses.

“The bill is clearly cost-neutral to the state, the cancer patient, and the insurance company, and places the choice of treatment in the hands of the patient and their physician,” company president Tom Welch said in the statement. “I cannot conceive of a more medically appropriate or fiscally responsible measure than that. The governor’s veto takes away the patient’s choice and hands it to the insurance companies.”

Haslam’s office did not return calls for comment.

Back to HCB News

Rad Oncology Homepage