
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 [...]

COVID-19 and Cancer Panel Discussion: Managing Stress, Anxiety, and Grief During Uncertain Times
NCCS hosted a conversation this week about managing anxiety, stress, and grief with psychologist Dr. Imani Price and a panel of cancer survivors and advocates. Dr. Price shared tips on how to cope with stress during this unique time and included strategies such as connecting with friends and family virtually, taking time to get outside each day, getting sufficient sleep, and eating well. Randall Broad, Erin Cummings, Loretta Herring, and Sharon Rivera-Sanchez, all cancer survivors [...]

COVID-19 and Cancer: A Conversation with Cancer Control Expert Otis Brawley, MD
NCCS has been collecting questions from patients and survivors on the coronavirus crisis and decided to address these questions…

NCCS Joins 28 Patient and Consumer Groups Urging the Administration to Implement a Special Enrollment Period for Healthcare.gov
The Trump administration decided against opening a special enrollment period for Healthcare.gov, which would allow uninsured individuals to purchase plans outside of the open enrollment period. NCCS joined with 28 patient and consumer groups to urge the administration to implement a special enrollment period as the nation fights to protect its citizens from the COVID-19 virus. The Affordable Care Act does allow for people who have lost [...]

NCCS Addresses COVID-19 & Cancer Survivorship
In these challenging times, we at NCCS continue to work for you, advocating for and supporting cancer survivors, caregivers, advocates, and providers. We have heard from many survivors who feel uniquely vulnerable due to their history of cancer treatments. And we have heard from people currently in treatment, who are worried about delays in care and navigating a stressed health care system. [...]

Webinar Video – Redefining Functional Status: A Patient-Led Quality Measurement Effort
"What would health care measurement look like if it reflected what patients and caregivers say matters most to them?" Quality measurement in cancer care is primarily focused on ensuring patients get the right tests and treatments, not whether those treatments help cancer survivors live well during and after cancer. NCCS embarked on an initiative to define quality measures by engaging survivors themselves to identify what’s important to measure. [...]

NCCS Expresses Opposition to CMS Healthy Adult Opportunity Guidance Permitting Medicaid Block Grants
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier today announced a guidance to state Medicaid programs that encourages states to create a block grant program for the portion of their Medicaid program expanded under the Affordable Care Act. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) opposes the CMS action to permit Medicaid block grants because of their potential negative impact on people with cancer. NCCS issued the statement below [...]

NCCS Statement on ACA Lawsuit Ruling Issued by Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) notes that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in the case of Texas v. United States, a case challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In a 2-1 opinion, the Fifth Circuit upheld the decision of the District Court for the Northern District of Texas that found the ACA individual mandate unconstitutional. However, the appellate court remanded the case to the District Court for additional [...]

NCCS Submits Comments to CMS on Oncology Care First Model
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) submitted comments in response to an Informal Request for Information on the proposed Oncology Care First Model. This model was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The comments focus on concerns regarding adequate resources in the model to support high quality cancer care. The letter also identifies shortcomings in the model that could influence [...]

NCCS Joins Coalition of Organizations Urging Congress to Extend the Medical Expense Deduction Permanently
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) joined with AARP and 47 other organizations in letters to the House and Senate asking Members to co-sponsor the Medical Expense Savings Act, which is bipartisan legislation that would make permanent the 7.5 percent threshold for the medical expense deduction. This deduction provides an important tax relief for many patients which helps offset the high costs of cancer care. [...]

Remembering Fitzhugh Mullan, MD
It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Fitzhugh Mullan, MD, the co-founder and first president of the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship, on November 30, 2019. As a young physician in 1975, Fitz was diagnosed with cancer at a time a cancer diagnosis was commonly a death sentence, often kept secret from friends, family, and coworkers. Always an activist for the rights of the disadvantaged, ten years after his own cancer experience, [...]