NCCS Submits Comments to the Senate Finance Committee in Response to Bipartisan Effort to Improve Care for Medicare Patients with Chronic Conditions

Today the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) submitted comments to the Senate Finance Committee in response to a bipartisan effort to begin exploring solutions that will improve outcomes for Medicare patients requiring chronic care. Cancer has a major impact on the Medicare program—68% of cancer deaths occurring in individuals 65 years of older, and 59% of cancer survivors are in this demographic. We recommend a reform of the fee-for-service Medicare program through the establishment of a cancer care planning service. Such a care plan would serve patients along the cancer care continuum—at the time of diagnosis, at transitions in active treatment, and at the transition from active treatment to long-term survivorship. As a patient-centered, patient-focused organization advocating for access to the best possible cancer care for all people with cancer, NCCS seeks to elevate the voice and needs of all cancer patients. We commend this bipartisan effort to improve care for Medicare patients with chronic conditions.