There are not many issues in Congress that are as important as life or death, but there is one that might be.

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is scary and can turn one’s life upside down. But if given the correct roadmap to combatting the disease, there can be a light at the end of the tunnel. That is why patients who have fought cancer like me, or other diseases such as Alzheimers or Parkinsons, rely on state-of-the-art nuclear imaging to accurately pinpoint the stage of our disease and the best way to attack it.

But nuclear imaging and other radiopharmaceutical treatments are not always readily available to those in rural or underserved communities. That is because in Medicare, reimbursement methods are so complicated and outdated that providers often don’t bother to utilize these diagnostic tools.

But that can change if the Facilitating Innovative Nuclear Diagnostics (FIND) Act is passed. It will clear the way for doctors to provide the best imaging to patients and give them the best chance for successful health outcomes. This is a real chance for Arizona leaders like Sen. Sinema and Sen. Kelly to help save lives.

Vic Daniels
Tempe