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 [...]
Finding Healing Hope – By Wendy S. Harpham, MD
Let’s discuss “hope.” After a cancer diagnosis, few topics are mentioned more…and discussed less. That’s a problem because what you hope for may mean the difference between enjoying life or feeling miserable. Maybe even between life and death. So how do you find hope? Not just any hope, but healing hope, namely hope that helps you get good care and live as fully as possible. Hope that helps you live your best life. The good news is there’s [...]
Health Care Roundup: Kaiser Health Insurance Survey; House Holds Medicare-for-All Hearing; CBO Analysis of Health Subsidies; More
Kaiser/LA Times Health Insurance Survey – Kaiser Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Times released results of a poll of people with employer-based health insurance and found that overall, most people with employer coverage feel generally satisfied with their insurance, but those with high deductibles or chronic conditions report facing affordability challenges. Those individuals with higher deductibles were more likely to skip or postpone [...]
Diagnosed with Cancer? Consider Living Life Like a Professional Cyclist
Guest Post by Mark Corroto — I recommend those diagnosed with cancer consider living life as if they are a professional cyclist. Ok, not racing 100 miles and climbing 10,000 feet of elevation, but attending to their minds and bodies as if preparing for the Amgen Tour of California. Cyclists look for every edge they can proffer to defeat opponents. For example, World Champion Peter Sagan is said to get 9 hours of sleep a night, and many [...]
Health Care Roundup: Health Care Proposals Compared; ‘Surprise Billing’ Under Scrutiny; How Cancer Disrupts Young Adults’ Lives; Medicare Part D; More
Comparing Health Care Proposals – As Medicare-for-all and other public health care proposals continue to be released by Members of Congress, Kaiser Family Foundation created a great interactive summary which they update regularly to compare these plans. Most recently, Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders introduced his Medicare-for-all bill in the Senate. | Surprise Billing – Surprise medical billing has been getting a lot of attention [...]
Health Care Roundup: NCCS Joins Court Brief in ACA Suit; Challenges of Care Coordination; A Stage 4 Survivor on Living in the Present; More
NCCS Joins Amicus Brief in ACA Lawsuit — On April 1, seventeen patient groups, including NCCS, filed an amicus curiae (“friend-of-the-court”) brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in the case Texas v. United States. The brief cited the devastating impact patients would face should the court uphold the district court ruling to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The patient groups argue the law was intended to help protect patients with pre-existing [...]
17 Patient Groups Urge Appeals Court to Uphold Health Care Law
Loss of Patient Protections Would Raise Barriers to Health Insurance — Seventeen patient groups representing millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions filed an amicus curiae (“friend-of-the-court”) brief today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in the case Texas v. United States, citing the devastating impact patients would face should the court uphold the District Court ruling to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). [...]
Health Care Roundup: Justice Dept Changes ACA Position; Medicaid Work Requirements Struck Down; Caregivers’ Costs; End-of-Life Conversations; More
There was a steady stream of health care news this past week, including court rulings regarding Medicaid work requirements and association health plans, as well as a major shift in the administration’s position on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) lawsuit. Democrats introduced new legislation to strengthen the ACA on its 9-year anniversary. Here’s what you need to know about these developments: The Justice Department announced that the Trump [...]
Health Care Roundup: Kansas Moves Medicaid Expansion; CDC Study: How Patients Reduce Their Drug Costs; Where EHRs Went Wrong; More
Kansas House Sends Medicaid Expansion to Senate – This week, Kansas is one step closer to expanding Medicaid in the state, after lawmakers passed a bill in the House that would add coverage for an estimated 150,000 Kansans. The expansion bill will head to the Senate where the outcome is unknown. From the Wichita Eagle: “The plan expands eligibility for medical assistance to all adults who are under 65 and make less than 133 percent [...]
Health Care Roundup: White House Proposes Health Care Cuts; NCI’s Sharpless to Head FDA; Care Planning; Patient Safety; More
White House Releases FY 2020 Budget – Earlier this week, the White House released the President’s Budget. This year's budget proposes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and cap Medicaid, and cuts federal health spending by $659 billion over 10 years. The budget also proposes shaving $818 billion from projected spending on Medicare over 10 years and cutting nearly $1.5 trillion from projected spending on Medicaid. [...]
Health Care Roundup: FDA’s Gottlieb Steps Down; Hearings on High Costs; Coping with Cancer’s Aftermath; Why Insurers Deny Claims; More
FDA Commissioner Gottlieb Announces Resignation — On Tuesday, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, announced that he would be resigning in the next month. Two focus areas during Commissioner Gottlieb’s tenure at the FDA include curbing vaping and making generic drugs more accessible. Dr. Gottlieb says he is stepping down from his role in order to spend more time with his family. Congress Holds [...]