581 RESULTS FOR: Cancer Policy Blog

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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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Health Care Roundup: Senate Hearing w/Pharma CEOs; Medicare for All Introduced; Logistical Toxicity; FDA Warns About Robotic Surgical Devices; More

Senate Finance Hearing on Drug Pricing — The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing this week on drug pricing, and Senators questioned seven CEOs from top pharmaceutical companies. While Senators of both parties asked tough questions about pricing practices and price increases, some experts suggested that the hearing was tamer than expected. In the Washington Post, Paige Cunningham wrote, “In the hearing on drug prices [...]
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Health Care Roundup: Health Care Spending; Survivorship Care Delivery; Metastatic BC at NY Fashion Week; Susan Gubar on Financial Toxicity; More

This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published new health care spending projections for the United States. Unsurprisingly, Medicare spending growth is projected to outpace that of other payers in the coming decade due to enrollment growth and higher use of services. See a breakdown of the projections here. On Wednesday, six hospital groups laid out an eight-point plan for dealing with surprise medical billing, [...]
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Introducing PatientTrueTalk.com – A Way for Advocates to Directly Help the Newly Diagnosed

Patient True Talk is the only patient-to-patient registry where patients and/or their caregivers can create profiles with as much information as they feel comfortable sharing, and find matching profiles based on algorithms created by some of the country’s top clinical oncologists. Patients/caregivers can also search along their diagnosis/treatment parameters, refining their search based on the results provided. They can then send secure messages [...]
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Health Care Roundup: New Health Care Bills; NCCS Co-Founder Susie Leigh on Life After Cancer; Oncology Care Model; Racial Disparities; More

Health Care Bills Discussed, ACA Lawsuit News – A group of Democratic lawmakers this week introduced legislation that would allow for a “Medicare Buy-In,” meaning Americans at age 50 could buy into the program for their health care coverage. Spearheaded by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI-D) and Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26), the legislators say the main goal is to promote more affordable coverage. Hearings on the ACA and drug pricing continued this [...]
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Health Care Roundup: Drug Pricing; Cancer Deaths Rise Globally; Health Care Champion John Dingell Remembered; Treatment at Home; “Survivor” Debate

Drug Pricing at SOTU; House Health Care Hearing — At the State of the Union address, President Trump stated that two of his administration’s health care priorities are to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions and lower drug prices. The address did not specify how to achieve those goals. NCCS commented on several drug pricing proposals released previously by the administration, with a specific focus on what the proposals would mean for patients. [...]
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Health Care Roundup: More Drug Pricing News; Clinical Trial Challenges; Trump Promises Action on Surprise Billing; Fake Cancer Cures; More

This week, the House and Senate held several hearings related to health care, including a House Ways and Means Committee hearing titled “Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions.” The hearing illustrated the stark difference between the two parties’ health care goals. There were also dueling drug pricing hearings this week, one from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform titled, “Examining the Actions of Drug Companies [...]
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NCCS and Cancer Leadership Council Highlight Potential Harm to Patients of Proposed Medicare Part D Changes

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released recently a proposed rule to change Medicare Part D’s protected classes drug coverage. In response, NCCS joined with other patient and provider groups of the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) to comment on how these proposed changes could impact patients. The proposed rule would give Medicare plans the option to limit coverage of drugs in six categories, including cancer drugs. [...]
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Health Care Roundup: Gov’t Shutdown Affects FDA; Health Care Hearings; Insomnia & Cancer; “When Cancer Meets the Internet;” More

Gov't Shutdown Affects FDA; Congressional Hearings on Health Care Scheduled – The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. This week, NCCS joined 46 groups in a letter to Congress and President Trump highlighting the impact the shutdown is having on the FDA’s work on behalf of patients. The groups stated that, “…we fear that this continued shutdown not only puts the current health and safety of Americans at risk, but [...]
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NCCS Joins Letter Highlighting Impact of Gov’t Shutdown on FDA’s Work on Behalf of Patients

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) joined with 46 other patient and provider organizations to call attention to the impact the government shutdown is having on the work of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “On behalf of patients across this country, we are greatly concerned that the agency is currently not fully funded, and thousands of vital FDA employees are not working or able to operate at full capacity. [...]
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NCCS Health Care Roundup: Opposing Medicare Part D Changes; Medicare-for-All Comparisons; Cancer Patients Suicide Risk Study; More

Protecting Medicare Part D's Protected Classes and Congressional Updates — This week, NCCS joined the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in a campaign against proposed Medicare Part D changes. More than 50 groups joined the campaign in opposition to the administration’s proposal to change Medicare Part D's protected classes drug coverage, which would give Medicare plans the option to limit coverage of drugs in six categories, [...]