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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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What Caught Our Eye: Health Care Repeal News; John McCain’s Diagnosis & Debate Over Cancer “Battle” Words; Drug Pricing; Cancer Screenings
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), July 21, 2017 – In the Spotlight – “These Americans Hated the Health Law. Until the Idea of Repeal Sank In.” Five years ago, the Affordable Care Act had yet to begin its expansion of health insurance to millions of Americans, but Jeff Brahin was already stewing about it. “It’s going to cost a fortune,” he said in an interview at the time. This week, as Republican efforts to repeal the law known as Obamacare [...]
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NCCS Statement on Senate’s Latest Health Care Reform Developments
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) applauds the failure to pass the harmful Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) in the Senate. BCRA would have been disastrous for millions of older, sick, and low-income Americans. We thank the Senators and governors who made the health care needs of their constituents their top priority. We especially appreciate Senators Susan Collins, Shelley Moore Capito, and Lisa Murkowski [...]
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ACA Update | July 14, 2017: Updated BCRA Released; 30+ Cancer-Related Groups Join in Opposition
Yesterday, Senate leadership released an updated draft version of their health care repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). As Andy Slavitt, former acting director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, states, “Trumpcare went from being very bad to unworkably bad.” The bill allows insurers to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and to charge higher rates to sick people. [...]
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NCCS and 33 Cancer-Related Patient Advocacy and Professional Organizations Jointly Oppose Senate’s Revised BCRA
Silver Spring, MD – NCCS joined 33 cancer-related patient advocacy and professional organizations in opposition to the Senate’s revised Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). “The Senate’s BCRA, just as the House’s AHCA, is a direct threat to America’s 16 million cancer patients and survivors who rely on timely and uninterrupted access to comprehensive and affordable health care,” said NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso. [...]
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NCCS Submits Comments to CMS, Stresses Importance of ACA and Outlines Steps to Strengthen Law
NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to a request for information, in which CMS asked for suggestions to empower patients and promote consumer choice, stabilize insurance markets, and enhance affordability. In our letter, NCCS stressed the importance of the Affordable Care Act, with its pre-existing condition protections, community rating requirements, essential [...]
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Open Letter to Congress: I Am Alive Because of the ACA (Guest Post)
By Rob DeLorenzo, Cancer Survivor – I am alive because of The Affordable Care Act (ACA). Having affordable and decent medical insurance allowed me to receive treatment for cancer which saved my life. But now you, our elected representatives in Congress, are voting to repeal the ACA and allow insurers to reinstate the pre-existing conditions exclusion, essentially voting for me and millions of others to lose [...]
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ACA Update | July 7, 2017: Senate GOP Try to Tweak ACA Repeal Bill as Dissent Grows During Recess
When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) decided to delay the vote for the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), there was a collective sigh of relief from the patient community. But our work is far from over. The Senate is still planning to move forward with their attempt to pass the bill, and now is a critical time to voice your opposition to this harmful legislation. The most recent Senator to speak out against the bill is North Dakota Senator John Hoeven [...]
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What Caught Our Eye: Advocates Raise Their Voices Over ACA Repeal; CDC Finds Disparity in Rural Cancer Deaths; Genetic Privacy; 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. In the Spotlight: “Local cancer survivor continues to fight, this time for health care" – From KRIS-TV – “I’m not just up there on Capitol Hill for myself, but I’m taking the concerns of our constituents here at home to Capitol Hill as well.” [...]
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Kirby Lewis: My NCCS CPAT Symposium and Hill Day Experience
Through my association with Living Beyond Breast Cancer, I was invited to attend a workshop Symposium with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. The CPAT Symposium was held just steps away from Capitol Hill at the Washington Court Hotel. It was a great, incredibly informative, and intensive 2-day training session. CPAT members hailed from all over the country, with all types of cancer. In total, approximately 65 people [...]
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ACA Update | June 29, 2017: Senate Health Care Vote Delayed
As you likely heard on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he would not proceed with a vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) this week, as was previously planned. The BCRA, the Senate’s bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, was released last week in draft form and on Monday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their report on the bill. [...]