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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

NCCS joined with other member organizations of the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to comment on the Initial Memorandum for Implementation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. In the letter, NCCS and 10 other cancer organizations — representing ...

WASHINGTON, DC, April 3, 2023 – Advocates for individuals in need of breast reconstruction surgery delivered a letter and petition to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today, urging them to reinstate a procedure code that is essential for access to deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast ...

This week, NCCS joined with more than 30 patient advocacy organizations as part of the Partnership to Protect Coverage to urge President Biden and Congress to support and protect the Medicaid program during any upcoming fiscal discussions. The letter calls on the White House and Congress to reject changes to ...

Dr. Crystal Labbato joined NCCS to deliver a presentation about providing an effective model of cancer survivorship care in a community setting. Dr. Labbato is the Survivorship Program Coordinator for Baptist Health Louisville and LaGrange hospitals in Kentucky. Nearly 17 years since the Institute of Medicine released their landmark report, ...

Dr. Michelle Mollica, Senior Advisor at the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship, joined NCCS to discuss NCI’s recent efforts focused on understanding and addressing the survivorship needs for the growing population of survivors who are living with advanced and metastatic cancers. Bethany Ross, CPAT Steering Committee Member ...

Pam DeGuzman, PhD, RN, joined NCCS to discuss the development and evaluation of Comprehensive Assistance: Rural Interventions, Nursing and Guidance (CARING), a nurse-led intervention aimed at reducing disparities in quality of life for rural cancer survivors. During active treatment, rural survivors may forgo supportive care interventions to prioritize and consolidate ...

In March of 2003, Jean Di Carlo-Wagner listened to a public service announcement by Katie Couric, in which she discussed the symptoms of colon cancer. It was then that Jean knew she had cancer. After two years of bowel changes, fatigue, reflux, pain in her gut, weight changes, night sweats, ...