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Coronavirus and Cancer Resources for Survivors
Cancer survivors have expressed concerns and questions about COVID-19, the coronavirus, and how they may be at higher risk due to their cancer history. Here are some resources about COVID-19 generally, and its impact for cancer survivors specifically. NCCS is seeking answers from public health experts on the coronavirus and its impact on cancer patients and survivors. Please leave a comment [...]
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Seeing the Bigger Picture of Survival Through Patient Advocacy
As patient advocates (as in most other things in life), it seems the more we learn, the more see what we don’t know. Whether we’re involved in promoting a patient-centered approach to research, direct care, survivorship, policy change or education, there’s a daily twist and update for us to wrap our brains around. And no matter which arena we find ourselves in, we are always looking for the endpoint: How far have we come in cancer care, and how does [...]
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The Dempsey Center – An Oasis for Anyone Facing Cancer in Maine
On behalf of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Lewiston, Maine, in October for the annual Dempsey Challenge. Hundreds of cyclists rode between 10 and 100 miles to raise funds for the Dempsey Center. After attending the cancer survivors’ walk with hundreds of local survivors, patients and advocates, I had the chance to visit the Dempsey Center to see first-hand the incredible programs and services [...]
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NCCS Joins AARP In Opposing Medical Expense Deduction Repeal
NCCS joined a letter, spearheaded by AARP and sent to all members of the House of Representatives, opposing the proposed elimination…
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What Caught Our Eye: ACA Open Enrollment Info, Tax Bill Eliminates Medical Expense Deduction, A Young Med Student’s Lymphoma Story
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE) is our week-in-review blog series, where we recap the cancer policy articles, studies, and stories that caught our attention. Affordable Care Act – It’s Open Enrollment Season! Do You Know Your Health Insurance? – It’s officially “open enrollment season” and that means millions of Americans are about to dive into an alphabet soup of insurance choices. To help with this problem, Merck collaborated with health literacy [...]
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What Caught Our Eye: ACA Premiums; Excessive Cancer Care; Saving Lives With Policy; Horrifying Hospice Care; Cancer Drug Efficacy; and More
What Caught Our Eye is our week-in-review blog series, where we recap the cancer policy articles, studies, and stories that caught our attention. “When Silver Costs More Than Gold: How Trump’s Actions Have Scrambled Insurance Prices” Via New York Times — The rates for next year’s Obamacare plans are out, and they show how President Trump’s actions have scrambled the insurance marketplace. Usually, plans known as gold have higher monthly [...]
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ACA Update | October 27, 2017 – CBO: Bipartisan Alexander-Murray Bill Would Cut Deficit by $3.8 Billion
This week proved to be another busy week in health care. NCCS led a team with representatives from other cancer patient advocacy groups to attend meetings with Senators to encourage them to support the Alexander-Murray bipartisan stabilization bill. The Alexander-Murray bill would fund cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments through 2019 and restore $106 million of the funding for enrollment outreach over the same time period. In exchange for [...]
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NCCS Announces Dr. Julia Rowland, Former Director of Office of Cancer Survivorship at NCI, as Newest Board Member
NCCS announced that Julia Rowland, PhD, former Director of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS), has joined the Board of Directors. Dr. Rowland retired from the NCI in September after 18 years. Former NCCS CEO Ellen Stovall was integral to the creation of the Office of Cancer Survivorship and helped recruit Dr. Rowland as its leader. Dr. Rowland has a long history of collaboration with NCCS, including [...]
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NCCS Letter to HHS Highlights “Deep Reservations” Concerning Massachusetts 1115 Waiver
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) sent a letter to Eric Hargan, Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to express “deep reservations” regarding the proposal by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to amend its Section 1115 waiver. In the letter, NCCS states: Many cancer patients have been assured access to care through MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. We are concerned [...]
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ACA Update | October 23, 2017 – Bipartisan ACA Stabilization Bill an Important Step Forward
For months, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have been working on a market stabilization bill that would fund the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and include other provisions to keep insurers in the markets. The stabilization bill was tabled when the Graham-Cassidy legislation was being considered, but now that efforts to repeal the ACA have stalled, Senators Alexander [...]
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WCOE: Bipartisan Health Care Deal Details; Fertility Banks Underused by Young Male Survivors; Cancer Stress; High Drug Pricing; and More
What Caught Our Eye is our week-in-review blog series, where we recap the cancer policy articles, studies, and stories that caught our attention. “The Senate’s new Obamacare stabilization deal, explained” – By Dylan Scott, Vox.com — We have an Obamacare stabilization deal. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, who had been working with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray for the past few months, announced it this afternoon. This would be [...]