Kirby Lewis – A Relentless Voice for Male Breast Cancer and Survivorship
Meet Kirby Lewis. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and later facing metastatic recurrence, he became a passionate advocate, raising awareness that men can get breast cancer too and pushing for better survivorship care. Learn more about Kirby in our Advocate Spotlight ...
A Voice for Change: Rebecca Muñoz’s AYA Cancer Journey of Advocacy and Research
Meet Rebecca Muñoz. Diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, she turned her challenges into advocacy, founding Chemotherapy Cold Cappers and working tirelessly to improve care for AYA cancer patients. From testifying for biomarker legislation to mentoring future cancer researchers, Rebecca’s advocacy is creating lasting change. Learn more about Rebecca in ...
NCCS Joins 28 Organizations Expressing Concern to Humana & CMS Over New Coverage Policy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
NCCS was one of twenty-eight organizations to sign patient community letters to Humana and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expressing concern about Humana’s coverage policy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The new policy is significantly more restrictive than the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) ...
NCCS Endorses Health Care Affordability Act
Recently, NCCS endorsed the Health Care Affordability Act — bicameral legislation making permanent the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Marketplace coverage as extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), if the PTCs are allowed to expire at the end ...
Webinar: NCCS Cancer Policy Roundtable Highlights
During our Fall Cancer Policy Roundtable in November 2023, NCCS hosted a compelling series of panels and guest speakers, discussing important issues in quality cancer survivorship care. As many of our CPAT members across the country were unable to join this in-person event, we wanted to provide highlights from the ...
CMS Announces It Will Retain Breast Reconstruction Codes, A Reversal That Protects Patient Access to DIEP Flap Surgery
Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will retain procedure codes for breast cancer reconstruction, after hearing feedback from NCCS and other patient advocates, patients, and health care professionals. NCCS asked CMS to retain the S codes for breast reconstruction, so that people in need ...
NCCS Board Member in STAT News Op-Ed: CMS must protect access to the ‘gold standard of breast reconstruction’
STAT News recently published an op-ed by NCCS Board Vice Chair Lisa D. T. Rice on the threat to access of DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery. In 1983, I flew home from college to be with my mother as she woke up from a mastectomy. She opted out of breast ...
NCCS Urges CMS to Preserve Access to DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a public meeting, in which they sought input on its decision to sunset the S code for deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction. NCCS has engaged in advocacy, along with other patient advocacy organizations and health care providers, to encourage CMS to reinstate the ...
Accessing COVID-19 Resources After the Public Health Emergency Ends
The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), which has been in effect since early 2020, will end on May 11, 2023. The federal government may continue to distribute free COVID-19 tests from its supply of purchased COVID-19 treatments, tests, and vaccines through the United States Postal Service, states, and other community ...
NCCS Urges Insurance Companies to Preserve Access to DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
This week, NCCS joined other patient advocacy organizations and medical professional societies in submitting a letter to the CEOs of major insurance companies, expressing concerns with recent insurance coverage policy changes that have limited access to DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery. Specifically, the letter asks these insurance companies to engage ...
