AHCA Archives - NCCS - National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

Senate Votes Down Repeal Plan

July 28, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

By Shelley Fuld Nasso

NCCS Chief Executive Officer

After a dramatic week in Washington, the Senate voted last night to reject the “skinny repeal” bill that would have destabilized insurance markets and resulted in 15 million fewer people insured as early as next year. The vote was the third repeal bill the Senate rejected this week.

It is not clear what’s next, but for today, we can breathe a sigh of relief that millions of Americans will not lose coverage.

In talking to cancer survivors, in person and on social media, I clearly sensed their fear and anxiety that they would no longer be able to afford insurance, or that they would once again face denials because of their pre-existing condition. The repeal debate itself had a human toll, and if the bill had been successful, it would have been an unimaginable toll.

“Together, we showed Members of Congress how important insurance is for cancer patients and survivors. I’m truly humbled by the tireless efforts of so many people.”

To be honest, at the beginning of this year, I thought that Congress would pass a repeal bill quickly and have it ready for President Trump to sign soon after inauguration. I never imagined that in late July, Congress would still be debating this legislation or that they would vote it down repeatedly. With Republicans in control of the White House, House, and Senate, they should have had the votes to repeal. That they didn’t is a testament to advocacy.

We are deeply grateful for the advocacy of so many cancer survivors, caregivers, advocates, family members, nurses, and physicians who stood up for the needs of cancer patients. Our colleagues in the cancer community—more than 30 patient advocacy and provider organizations—joined with us to present a united front against multiple versions of the legislation.

CPAT Members and CUPID medical students
meet with Sen. Sherrod Brown

Members of NCCS’ Cancer Policy & Advocacy Team (CPAT) shared their stories, spoke with reporters, wrote blog posts, placed op-eds in their local newspapers, met with legislators in their districts, attended rallies, made phone calls, encouraged their friends and family to make phone calls, and even traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators as part of our CPAT Symposium last month. Together, we showed Members of Congress how important insurance is for cancer patients and survivors. I’m truly humbled by the tireless efforts of so many people.

We at NCCS will continue to advocate for access to quality, affordable health insurance for cancer survivors. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provided vital protections for people with pre-existing conditions, subsidies to purchase insurance, and Medicaid for millions of people. But premiums and deductibles are too high, and in some areas of the country, there are few (or even no) choices for consumers. Now, we must hold the administration accountable to implement the law faithfully, including upholding the commitment to subsidize copayments and we must hold Congress accountable to address the shortcomings in the marketplace.

Thank you for your support of NCCS and your advocacy efforts!

Senate rejects measure to partly repeal Affordable Care Act, dealing Trump and GOP leaders a major setback https://t.co/sYdAGrqqzB

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 28, 2017

NCCS Statement on Senate’s Latest Health Care Reform Developments

July 19, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) applauds the failure to pass the harmful Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) in the Senate. BCRA would have been disastrous for millions of older, sick, and low-income Americans. We thank the Senators and governors who made the health care needs of their constituents their top priority. We especially appreciate Senators Susan Collins, Shelley Moore Capito, and Lisa Murkowski for refusing to vote for a repeal bill without a replacement.

NCCS also strongly opposes Trump administration threats to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Just as with BCRA, millions of peoples’ health care would be threatened if actions are not taken to provide the stability necessary to protect health care coverage and lower premiums and deductibles.

Time is long overdue to put politics and campaign rhetoric aside, come together in a bipartisan and open process, and work with all stakeholders to find pragmatic solutions. The American people want and deserve action to ensure that they have access to comprehensive and affordable health care, wherever they live.

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NCCS and 33 Cancer-Related Patient Advocacy and Professional Organizations Jointly Oppose Senate’s Revised BCRA

July 13, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

Silver Spring, MD – The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) joined 33 cancer-related patient advocacy and professional organizations in opposition to the Senate’s revised Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA).

“The Senate’s BCRA, just as the House’s AHCA, is a direct threat to America’s 16 million cancer patients and survivors who rely on timely and uninterrupted access to comprehensive and affordable health care,” said NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso. “With an estimated 22 million losing coverage, severe cuts to Medicaid, and elimination of pre-existing condition protections, this bill is devastating for the American people, especially for anyone with a cancer diagnosis. It is time to end this threat that is causing fear and anxiety throughout the cancer community, and work towards bipartisan solutions to strengthen current law.”

34 Cancer-Related Patient and Professional Organizations Jointly Oppose the Senate's BCRA

The groups who joined the effort are:

American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC)
Association of Oncology Social Work
Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association
CancerCare
Cancer Support Community
Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy
Colon Cancer Alliance
Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation
Critical Mass
Deadliest Cancers Coalition
Fight Colorectal Cancer
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
LIVESTRONG
Living Beyond Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer Alliance
LUNGevity
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Melanoma Research Alliance
National Brain Tumor Society
National Breast Cancer Coalition
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Patient Advocate Foundation
Oncology Nursing Society
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance
Sarcoma Foundation of America
Stupid Cancer
Susan G. Komen
Triage Cancer
Us TOO International
Young Survival Coalition

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Kirby Lewis: My NCCS CPAT Symposium and Hill Day Experience

July 6, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Health Care Coverage, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

By Kirby Lewis,
Cancer Survivor and NCCS CPAT Member

Through my association with Living Beyond Breast Cancer, I was invited to attend a workshop Symposium with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. The CPAT Symposium was held just steps away from Capitol Hill at the Washington Court Hotel. It was a great, incredibly informative, and intensive 2-day training session.

Our members hailed from all over the country, with all types of cancer. In total, approximately 65 people prepared for our goal: to meet with our individual Congressional Representatives from our respective states with the purpose to STOP the proposed new health care bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). The reasons varied for each participant, but the major issues voiced were the BCRA’s elimination or decreased coverage of Medicaid, compounded by the aspect that it would not adequately protect against pre-existing conditions—two factors that affect many of us with cancer.

My fellow West Virginian, Isaac Whol, an economist. He was diagnosed with Leukemia this past year. His treatments are ongoing just like mine.

While you might still be employed, or covered under your spouse’s insurance, things have a way of changing. In this day and age, companies are not as loyal to their employees as was the case years ago. What would happen if the company was bought out? Again, job stability is not what it used to be. So what happens if your spouse loses their job, and you have cancer or another pre-existing condition? Under this new bill, you may not be protected. It was a necessary step to approach Congress and plead with them on a case-by-case basis.

[Editor’s note: Learn more about how the BCRA would weaken patient protections on our #ProtectOurCare page »]

I met with three of our state’s elected officials’ staff. It was not what I would’ve preferred, as NOTHING beats a face-to-face meeting, but you take what you can get. All three, my Representative and our two Senators, all recognized the need and, according to their staffers, were willing to work to protect Medicaid and the health care for the best interests of our state.

I left the Capitol, tired, relieved, and once again feeling blessed that somehow something I said during these meetings might resonate and make a difference. It is good to do advocacy work…and it is great to be part of the process that makes America the best country in the world.

# # #

About the Author: Kirby Lewis attended the 2017 Cancer Policy & Advocacy Team Symposium in Washington, D.C. in June 2017. He is a two-time cancer survivor, and a resident of West Virginia.

Note: The views & opinions expressed in any guest post featured on our site are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions & views of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.

NCCS Statement on CBO Report of Senate’s “Better Care Reconciliation Act”

June 26, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

Washington, D.C – The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) issued the following statement in response to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the Senate’s “Better Care Reconciliation Act” (BCRA). The CBO reported that the BCRA would lead to 22 million more uninsured compared to current law. NCCS advocates from across the country will be on Capitol Hill tomorrow meeting with their Members of Congress to express their serious concerns with BCRA and AHCA.

“Today’s devastating CBO report for the Senate’s BCRA follows a devastating CBO report for the House’s AHCA,” said NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso. “22 million people projected to lose coverage as a result of BCRA is completely unacceptable for the American people, including 16 million cancer survivors. It’s no wonder that not a single health care group or organization is supporting this repeal effort. The American people deserve better and want Congress to work together to improve the health care system by expanding coverage and ensuring greater access to affordable, quality care. It’s time to move past threatening health care repeal for our most vulnerable communities and work toward policy in a transparent and democratic process.”

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NCCS CPAT Member Jen Campisano’s Powerful Op-Ed Highlights Senate’s Secretive Health Care Repeal Process

June 26, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

This op-ed was originally published in the Arizona Republic on June 24, 2017.

By Jen Campisano

Cancer Survivor, NCCS CPAT Member

I have written before about being misdiagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, about the nearly five years I spent wondering whether I’d get to see my little boy grow up. Last year, my diagnosis was changed to early-stage breast cancer and an autoimmune disease that mimics cancer on scans. I appear to be in remission from both. I don’t know why I got a get-out-of-jail-free card. I’m not sure why I survived when so many of my friends will not.

Adding to the anxiety and uncertainty that I and millions of Americans with a serious illness already feel is the looming threat of health-care repeal legislation working its way through Congress. The House version (H.R. 1628, passed by a 217-213 vote on May 4) would be catastrophic, causing an estimated 23 million people to lose health care, leading to drastic cuts in Medicaid, allowing states to opt out of essential health benefits (requiring insurers to cover critical benefits like hospitalizations, prescription drugs, and maternity care) and making out-of-pocket costs to skyrocket for millions.

But whether we are living with cancer or after it, the estimated 15.5 million survivors alive today have pre-existing conditions. This is not just a concern for cancer patients and survivors.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about half of non-elderly Americans have a pre-existing condition that would have been cause for denial of insurance coverage prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Even with the so-called “protections” for
pre-existing conditions included in the House legislation, insurance companies could charge people more based on their health history if a person’s insurance coverage lapsed for any reason.

Additionally, it could allow states to reinstate annual or lifetime caps on insurance-provided benefits while removing caps on out-of-pocket spending, which would be disastrous for any person with a chronic condition that included frequent hospitalizations or expensive prescription drugs.

Countless advocacy organizations, including the American Cancer Society, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, American Medical Association, the Catholic Health Association of the United States and AARP, oppose the legislation that passed the House on a party-line vote.

I am gravely opposed to Republican efforts to repeal the ACA (also called Obamacare) both in terms of harmful policies being adopted and the deceptive process. Several reports indicate that the Senate will now introduce and vote on legislation that could be even more cruel to millions of Americans with as little as 24 hours’ notice.

According to Sarah Kliff at Vox.com: “There is currently no plan for committee markups or votes. Once the bill is ready, it will go straight to the Senate floor for a vote. Negotiations are largely happening at this point in private meetings and lunches.”

This is not how our democracy is supposed to operate. Prior to my MBC diagnosis, I went to law school in Washington, D.C., and spent nearly a decade lobbying before Congress and the federal government. To get legislative work done, bipartisan consensus used to be necessary.

Open debate and committee hearings to ensure clarity on bills were standard. Although some might complain that Congress takes ages to accomplish anything, that was how our Founding Fathers constructed our government: to be a slowmoving, careful machine where the pendulum cannot swing too widely one way or another.

Our senators have an obligation to do what’s in the best interest of patients and our democracy and stop this harmful legislation from moving forward. Yes, I am concerned about the content and what it would mean for millions of people like me but we Americans should also be alarmed by the dismantling of our democratic processes.

# # #

About the Author: Jen Campisano is a mom, lawyer, and patient advocate writing about her experiences as a former Stage 4 breast cancer patient at www.boobyandthebeast.com. Follow Jen on Twitter: @JCampisano.

ACA Update | June 16, 2017: As Negative Analyses Pile Up, Senate GOP Continues Secret Health Care Negotiations

June 16, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

If you haven’t already called your Senators’ offices to tell them to reject the AHCA, now is the time. If you have called, thank you! And keep calling. If you have friends or family in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Maine, Nevada, Tennessee, and West Virginia, please urge them to call. Senators from these states are crucial votes and need to hear from their constituents. Senate leadership set a goal of July 4th recess to bring the bill to the floor and access to health care for millions of cancer survivors across the U.S. is at stake.Call 844-257-6227 to be connected to your Senators today.

#ACA update: Some GOP Senate offices told us this week that they are now open to the big #medicaid cuts in AHCA. https://t.co/klp0L1vcuf

— NCCS (@CancerAdvocacy) June 9, 2017

As we reported last week, moderate Republicans in the Senate seem to be caving on their earlier promises to reject any bill that slashes Medicaid funding. Senators Collins and Capito have reportedly stated they would consider a “phasing out” of the Medicaid expansion program.

However, lengthening the timeframe for ending the program does nothing to help the millions of people who depend on Medicaid for health insurance, including low-income, disabled, and elderly Americans. Because the Senate can only lose two votes on the AHCA, each Senator is critical and it is extremely concerning to hear moderate members negotiate away their constituents’ access to health care.

To increase confusion around the American Health Care Act (AHCA), President Trump this week changed his analysis of the House passed bill from being “incredibly well-crafted” to now being, “Mean, mean, mean,” as the Senate considers the legislation. Earlier this year, Trump said his health care replacement would be “great” and “would cover everyone.” The AHCA is a far cry from providing coverage for everyone. In fact, it would take health insurance away from millions and cause costs to go up for our most vulnerable communities.

Adding to the growing list of negative analyses of the AHCA, the following reports and estimates were released this week:

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) independent actuary this week released a report that found the bill would result in 13 million fewer insured, a 61% increase in cost sharing (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance), and an increase of $221 billion in out-of-pocket health costs.
An analysis by the Center for American Progress showed that “as many as 27 million Americans could face annual limits on their coverage, and 20 million could be hit with lifetime limits.”
An analysis by The Commonwealth Fund estimates that nearly one million jobs will be lost if the AHCA is implemented, with most coming from the health care sector. The hardest hit states would be those that expanded Medicaid.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that people of all ages will lose coverage under the AHCA, but strikingly, the uninsured rate for children will increase by 50 percent.
Finally, the American Medical Association (AMA) came out against the AHCA saying the bill’s Medicaid caps are a “disaster” and would hurt their patients.

Not only is the AHCA a bad bill, it’s also extremely unpopular with the public. The New York Times reported this week on their analysis of each states’ perception of the bill and found that not a single state favors the AHCA.

The question is, will Republican senators vote yes on a bill this harmful and this unpopular?

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To learn how you can get more involved in this effort, visit the NCCS Protect Our Care webpage. If you have any questions about advocacy, please contact Lindsay Houff at lhouff@canceradvocacy.org.

What Caught Our Eye: AHCA Would Cause 50% Rise of Uninsured Children, Crowdfunding Health Care Tragedies, Rare Cancers, and More

June 16, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), June 16, 2017
What Caught Our Eye is our week-in-review blog series, where we recap the cancer policy articles, studies, and stories that caught our attention.

In the Spotlight

“New Analysis Finds Uninsured Rate for Kids Would Increase by 50% Under AHCA”

My blog about new @CenterOnBudget analysis on impact of AHCA on people of all ages. https://t.co/2L6AbvPD4v

— Joan Alker (@JoanAlker1) June 14, 2017

By Joan Alker, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
If the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA) becomes law, the uninsured rate for children would increase by a whopping 50% by 2026 according to a new analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Center’s report is based on a deeper dive into the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the AHCA that was passed by the House of Representatives last month. Approximately three million more children would lose health insurance by 2026 according to the Center’s estimates.
Read More »

Affordable Care Act

“G.O.P. Senators Might Not Realize It, but Not One State Supports the A.H.C.A.”

GOP senators might not realize it, but not one state supports the replacement health bill https://t.co/GiyIg5BKlj pic.twitter.com/RPEeHPfzDL

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 15, 2017

By Christopher Warshaw and David Broockman, New York Times — It’s no secret that American Health Care Act is unpopular. In recent national polls, only about 29 percent of Americans support the bill. It is the most unpopular piece of major legislation Congres has considered in decades—even more unloved than TARP (“the bailout”), and much more unpopular than the Affordable Care Act.
Read More »

“The Senate’s Three Tools on HealthCare: Sabotage, Speed, and Secrecy”

In place of vision, good will & compromise, GOP leadership only has tactics. Sabotage. Speed. Secrecy.https://t.co/dHbWDWB4Cc

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) June 13, 2017

Op-ed by Andy Slavitt, Washington Post — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had a problem when the American Health Care Act arrived from the House last month. What to do with a bill that is clogging your agenda but only 8 percent of Americans want you to pass and members of your own caucus swore was dead on arrival? McConnell couldn’t have missed the town halls filled with angry Americans who rely on Medicaid and see the Affordable Care Act’s protections for those with preexisting conditions as a godsend. The House bill — which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would cause 23 million to lose coverage and end those protections for many — threatened all of that.
Read More »

“The Senate’s Secret Health Care Talks are the Latest Slide Away from Transparency”

My latest on Senate secret health bill process – this has been coming for a while. https://t.co/Ux2cUIPOHZ

— julie rovner (@jrovner) June 14, 2017

By Julie Rovner, Stat News — Congress struggling to finish a huge budget reconciliation bill. A GOP president pushing a major overhaul of federal payments for health insurance that could transform the lives of sick patients.

Sound familiar? The year was 1986. I was a rookie health reporter on Capitol Hill and watched a Medicare bill move from introduction, to hearings, to votes in subcommittees, to full committees and then to the entire House — an operation that took months and was replicated in the Senate, before the two chambers got together to iron out their differences for final passage.
Read More »

Coping with Cancer

“American Health Care Tragedies are Taking Over Crowdfunding”

America’s health-care crisis is a gold mine for crowdfunding https://t.co/MYXcDDgSBh pic.twitter.com/eHu8ABZw1f

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) June 13, 2017

By Suzanne Woolley, Bloomberg News — Crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe and YouCaring have turned sympathy for Americans drowning in medical expenses into a cottage industry. Now Republican efforts in Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare could swell the ranks of the uninsured and spur the business of helping people raise donations online to pay for health care.
Read More »

Cancer News

“Too Much Medical Care: Bad for You, Bad for Health Care Systems”

Can you have too much medical care? https://t.co/YSK4gFZpbn pic.twitter.com/Jz5frhVbTl

— STAT (@statnews) June 15, 2017

By H. Gilbert Welch, Stat News — Here’s a question to ask your doctor: Have you ever had a patient who suffered from getting too much medical care? Assuming she has the time and the inclination to talk, I bet you’ll hear an interesting story.
Read More »

“Clamping Down on Unproven Cancer Treatment Products”

Clamping Down on Unproven Cancer Treatment Products. https://t.co/fR8LBLt0tS

— Oncology Nursing News (@OncNursingNews) June 15, 2017

By Lisa Schulmeister, Oncology Nursing News — Years ago, I administered chemotherapy to a young patient who was convinced that drinking milk from a cow that had just given birth would boost his immune system. It seemed logical to him, since antibody levels in this milky fluid, called colostrum, are in fact higher than those found in regular cow’s milk.

Thus, when the FDA issues warning letters on April 25, 2017, I was not surprised to see colostrum capsules on the list of 65 products that fraudulently claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure cancer.
Read More »

“Advanced Practitioners Called on to Ease Cancer Care Shortage, but Challenges Remain”

Advanced practitioners called on to ease cancer care shortage, but challenges remain https://t.co/UhGGIaR24Y pic.twitter.com/qmbVfZYUCn

— Modern Healthcare (@modrnhealthcr) June 14, 2017

By Maria Castellucci, Modern Healthcare — The cancer community is in critical need of additional providers. The demand for oncology services is expected to increase by 40% or more by 2025, while the supply of oncologists is only expected to grow by 25%, according to a study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Read More »

“Are Rare Cancers on the Rise?”

Are Rare Cancers on the Rise? https://t.co/7aoRaG0IDP pic.twitter.com/FXig6p3aMu

— Healthline (@Healthline) June 15, 2017

By Kristen Fischer, Healthline.com — Cancer remains a major health obstacle across the globe, but now it looks like rare forms of cancer are becoming more common.
Read More »

More From “What Caught Our Eye” »

Follow us on Twitter: @CancerAdvocacy

NCCS Joins 120 Patient, Provider, and Consumer Organizations to Oppose Medicaid Cuts and Funding Caps

June 15, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News, Policy Comments Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity NCCS News, Policy Comments /by actualize

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) joined with 120 leading patient, provider and consumer organizations to express grave concerns about potential Senate actions on Medicaid. Together, the groups implored Senate leadership to protect the Medicaid program and oppose efforts to roll back Medicaid expansion or change Medicaid’s funding in a way that would harm patients and consumers.

In a letter to both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Orrin Hatch, the 120 organizations urged the Senators to:

Defend Medicaid as a critical lifeline for patients and consumers with ongoing health care needs. For instance, Medicaid covers roughly one half of all births, including many high-risk pregnancies, and more than 6 million older adults rely on Medicaid to get the treatments they need.
Reject efforts to convert Medicaid to a per capita cap or block grant system. Per capita caps and block grants would limit the ability of patients and consumers to access breakthrough treatments and constrain the program’s ability to address emerging health threats, undermining Medicaid’s role as a safety net for the most vulnerable Americans.
Maintain Medicaid expansion. Because Medicaid is such a critical source of coverage for people with chronic diseases, eliminating Medicaid expansion at any point in time would make many of them more vulnerable to high medical costs.

Proposals to phase out Medicaid expansion and impose per capita caps, like those included in the American Health Care Act, would limit patients’ access to care and threaten Medicaid’s ability to provide critical coverage to the tens of millions of patients who rely on the program to get the care they need to live healthy, full lives.

Read the full text of the letter below and complete list of signing organizations.

# # #

Download the letter here. (Right-click, save as)

ACA Update | June 9, 2017: Senate Finding Ways to Repeal ACA

June 9, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Health Care Coverage, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), cancer survivors were at the mercy of the health care system, often forced to pay exorbitant premiums or simply denied coverage altogether. Today, America’s 16 million cancer survivors benefit from the ACA’s patient protections that are critical to providing them with quality, affordable, and accessible health care coverage. NCCS is actively engaged in advocating to ensure this unprecedented access for cancer patients and providers continues.

The Senate has returned from Memorial Day recess, turning its attention to health care reform and setting an ambitious schedule for consideration of its version of a health care bill. The Senate plans to get their version to the Congressional Budget Office to have the bill scored, then are planning to vote on the bill very soon. Some are pushing for a vote by the July 4 recess, while others say the August recess is the target.

There have been several key developments in the past week, starting with Republican leadership sharing a bill of the Senate’s version of the AHCA at a caucus luncheon on Tuesday. The public has yet to see the language being considered, as there have been no public hearings or input from experts in the health care or patient advocacy space. NCCS understands the bill will likely be quite similar to the House version.

Pre-Existing Condition Protections

The New York Times reported that the Senate version may not include the waiver that allows insurers to charge people with pre-existing conditions more, but it will likely still include the waiver for the requirement to cover essential health benefits. While Republicans claim this would maintain the ACA’s protections for pre-existing conditions, we know that this is not true. Senator Cassidy, who was critical of the House version, said this week that he could support the Senate version because it is “cognizant of pre-existing conditions.” Without the essential health benefits requirements, cancer patients may not be denied coverage or charged more because of their pre-existing condition, but what good is “coverage” if it doesn’t provide necessary services like chemotherapy, prescription drugs, or hospital visits? It is dishonest to claim this bill protects pre-existing conditions.

Moderate GOP Senators Begin to Embrace Big Cuts to Medicaid

As we continued to meet with Senate offices this week, we were alarmed by the comments made by some Senators and their staff members, who said that they could potentially be persuaded to vote for a bill that made the phasing out of the Medicaid expansion a smooth transition. This strays from their initial reaction to the AHCA, when a group of Senators wrote a letter to leadership stating, “We are concerned that the proposal from the House of Representatives does not provide stability and certainty for individuals and families in Medicaid expansion programs or the necessary flexibility for states.”

Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid, leading to coverage for more than 11 million people who otherwise would not have insurance. Medicaid expansion, which was seen as a deal breaker for a handful of Senators just a week ago, is now being viewed by the moderates as collateral damage in the debate around health care. Some have talked about a “glide path” for unwinding the Medicaid expansion, but adding two years to the phase-out period still results in the same outcome.

What You Can Do

Even with these changes, the bill still has a narrow margin to pass in the Senate. Your voice is incredibly important in this process and now is a key time to make your voice heard.

Call 844-257-6227 and let your Senators know the AHCA or anything resembling the bill would be devastating for cancer survivors.

We will not be duped by false promises to protect pre-existing conditions developed in secrecy.

To learn how you can get more involved in this effort, visit the NCCS Protect Our Care webpage. If you have any questions about advocacy, please contact Lindsay Houff at lhouff@canceradvocacy.org.

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