Tag Archive for: cancer care
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
NCCS Concerned That Proposed ACA Rule Changes Could Raise Costs for Patients and Disrupt Treatment
NCCS and member organizations of the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) submitted comments to the HHS in response to the agency’s Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters for 2020. The Notice contains rules and provisions that will apply to the individual market (the Affordable Care Act marketplace), and small group health insurance markets. The letter states NCCS’ concerns about specific provisions that may threaten cancer patients’ access [...]
Introducing PatientTrueTalk.com – A Way for Advocates to Directly Help the Newly Diagnosed
Patient True Talk is the only patient-to-patient registry where patients and/or their caregivers can create profiles with as much information as they feel comfortable sharing, and find matching profiles based on algorithms created by some of the country’s top clinical oncologists. Patients/caregivers can also search along their diagnosis/treatment parameters, refining their search based on the results provided. They can then send secure messages [...]
Health Care Roundup: New Health Care Bills; NCCS Co-Founder Susie Leigh on Life After Cancer; Oncology Care Model; Racial Disparities; More
Health Care Bills Discussed, ACA Lawsuit News – A group of Democratic lawmakers this week introduced legislation that would allow for a “Medicare Buy-In,” meaning Americans at age 50 could buy into the program for their health care coverage. Spearheaded by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI-D) and Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26), the legislators say the main goal is to promote more affordable coverage. Hearings on the ACA and drug pricing continued this [...]
Health Care Roundup: Drug Pricing; Cancer Deaths Rise Globally; Health Care Champion John Dingell Remembered; Treatment at Home; “Survivor” Debate
Drug Pricing at SOTU; House Health Care Hearing — At the State of the Union address, President Trump stated that two of his administration’s health care priorities are to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions and lower drug prices. The address did not specify how to achieve those goals. NCCS commented on several drug pricing proposals released previously by the administration, with a specific focus on what the proposals would mean for patients. [...]
Health Care Roundup: Gov’t Shutdown Affects FDA; Health Care Hearings; Insomnia & Cancer; “When Cancer Meets the Internet;” More
Gov't Shutdown Affects FDA; Congressional Hearings on Health Care Scheduled – The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. This week, NCCS joined 46 groups in a letter to Congress and President Trump highlighting the impact the shutdown is having on the FDA’s work on behalf of patients. The groups stated that, “…we fear that this continued shutdown not only puts the current health and safety of Americans at risk, but [...]