repeal and replace Archives - NCCS - National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

NCCS Statement on ACA Lawsuit Ruling Issued by Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

December 19, 2019/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions Issue Statements, NCCS News /by actualize

December 19, 2019 – The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) notes that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in the case of Texas v. United States, a case challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In a 2-1 opinion, the Fifth Circuit upheld the decision of the District Court for the Northern District of Texas that found the ACA individual mandate unconstitutional. However, the appellate court remanded the case to the District Court for additional analysis regarding whether other parts of the ACA can stand without the individual mandate.

NCCS would first like to offer assurances to those Americans who are insured by health insurance plans purchased through the ACA marketplaces, those who are enrolled in Medicaid authorized by ACA, and many others who enjoy the pre-existing condition protections and other protections of the ACA. You will continue to benefit from the important programs and protections of the ACA while the litigation continues and the courts proceed with consideration of the ACA challenge.

At the same time, NCCS is disappointed that a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the ACA, a cloud that causes worry for individual consumers and that affects the implementation and administration of the law. We will continue to press lawmakers to reassert their support for the patient protections of the ACA, for the subsidies that make insurance affordable for many Americans, and for access to Medicaid. We have evidence that the ACA has improved access to cancer care for many vulnerable Americans, and we are not satisfied to see that progress reversed.

We understand that the state attorneys general who are defending the ACA will ask the Supreme Court to review Texas v. United States without delay and before the District Court reviews the case again on remand. Because this request may be the fastest path to resolution of the legal questions surrounding the ACA, we support this effort.

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Coalition Statement

NCCS also joined with 28 patient groups in a statement voicing concerns with the recent ruling in the ACA lawsuit. Read the statement below or view in a new browser tab.

Previous NCCS Coverage of Texas v. United States

17 Patient Groups Urge Appeals Court to Uphold Health Care Law

Health Care Roundup: ACA Lawsuit Update; Chronic Pain Study; “Have Cancer, Must Travel;” “Survivorship Issues Reshape a Researcher’s Career;” More

Health Care Roundup: Justice Dept Changes ACA Position; Medicaid Work Requirements Struck Down; Caregivers’ Costs; End-of-Life Conversations; More

NCCS Applauds House Vote on Behalf of Patients to Defend the ACA and Its Pre-Existing Condition Protections

Health Care Roundup: DoJ Decision Not to Defend ACA Puts Patient Protections At Risk; “Cancer Treatment Beyond Mutant-Hunting”

June 15, 2018/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News /by actualize

In order to bring you the latest cancer-related health care policy and news, we at NCCS combined our ACA Updates and What Caught Our Eye (WCOE) content into a weekly email and blog post. We aim to make this a concise, one-stop summary of what you need to know as we continue working together to make cancer care better for everyone.

Your feedback is always welcome to make our content more useful to you. Please send comments to feedback@canceradvocacy.org.

Subscribe to our email list and receive these updates in your email box each week »

HEALTH CARE HIGHLIGHTS

ACA Pre-Existing Conditions Protections are at Risk

As we reported last week, the Department of Justice (DoJ) determined that it will NOT defend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the lawsuit filed by the state of Texas and several other states. In fact, the DoJ is breaking with long-held legal precedent to defend laws passed by Congress. Instead, the DoJ has decided to support the legal argument of several attorneys general from GOP-led states who suggest that not only the individual mandate, but also the guaranteed issue and community rating provisions of ACA are unconstitutional. If the position of the DoJ is upheld by the courts, the pre-existing condition protections that are critically important to cancer patients will be eliminated. Read more about the details of the lawsuit at Vox.com.

Carolyn Y. Johnson of the Washington Post says the ACA lawsuit could jeopardize 52 million Americans’ access to health care:

According to a 2016 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 52 million Americans under the age of 65 could find their access to health insurance at risk because of a wide range of preexisting conditions, from diabetes to cancer to pregnancy. Health insurers have for years been raising premiums, complaining about uncertainty and withdrawing from the business of selling individual insurance plans, and more changes could further destabilize the market.

“It would be essentially a return to what the individual market looked like before the ACA, where insurers would require applicants to fill out long questionnaires about their medical histories, and make decisions based on people’s health and how much to charge,” said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Now we’re in the situation where very sick people have gotten insurance, and so changing the rules means taking coverage away from people who genuinely need it.”

As the Wall Street Journal points out, this threat to pre-existing conditions also applies to individuals who have employer coverage. “If the courts toss some ACA provisions linked to the insurance-coverage mandate, elements of the requirements that also apply to employer plans would likely be halted or reversed as well, analysts said.” Additionally, “Employers would again be able to impose lengthy waiting periods for health coverage on new hires…and employers could also opt not to cover a new hire’s specific health problem, like cancer, for up to a year even if they provide them insurance.”

NCCS will continue to monitor this situation and provide further updates as they become available.

IMPORTANT READS

Trump gives Democrats a big health care opening for the midterms

Via Axios.com

One of the biggest reasons ACA repeal efforts failed in 2017 was because of threats to pre-existing condition protections. As noted above, millions of Americans have one form or another of a pre-existing condition and now understand what health coverage is like when those conditions can’t be used against patients. Actively trying to take that away could once again prove difficult. Axios points out:

Protections for people with pre-existing conditions are hugely popular, and the administration may have handed Democrats their strongest health care weapon yet—because now they can make the case that the administration has gone to court to take away protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions. The case is also likely to drag on, so it could be the political gift that keeps on giving through 2020, even if it is eventually thrown out.

The Search for Cancer Treatment Beyond Mutant-Hunting

Via New York Times

Siddartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, argues in her New York Times piece that the reinvention of cancer therapy needs time, patience and diligence—and most importantly, skepticism. “By narrowing our definition of precision medicine too much, we almost narrowed our ambition to deliver precise, thoughtful therapy — or, at times, no therapy — to our patients. It would be a shame to view cancer through such narrow lenses again.” Read More »

ACA Update | December 8, 2017 – As Tax Bill Negotiations Continue, Sen. Collins’ Legislative Demands Not Likely to Be Acted on This Year

December 8, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, 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.

It has been a little over a week since the Senate passed their tax reform bill. As the chambers continue to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate versions, a great deal of uncertainty remains as to the final product, especially as it pertains to health care provisions in the bill. Senator Collins (R-ME) voted in support of the bill with the condition that two stabilization bills pass before the year ends in order to off set the negative impacts of repealing the individual mandate. One bill, known as Alexander-Murray, would temporarily restore cost-sharing subsidies to insurers. The second, Collins-Nelson, would fund a two-year reinsurance program helping health plans cover particularly expensive patients. However, health policy experts are not convinced that these two stabilizing bills would truly mitigate the impact of repealing one of the most important pieces of the Affordable Care Act. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that repealing the mandate would lead to 13 million people losing their coverage and premiums could rise by 10 percent. It would put more pressure on an already unsteady Obamacare market as it could lead to an exodus of healthy people and cause insurers to raise prices to cover the cost.

The health care community is united in opposition to repeal of the individual mandate, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, American Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of America, and the Federation of American Hospitals.

As Bloomberg News reported, it is by no means clear that either of the health care bills Collins bargained for will get anywhere in the House, where conservatives regard the measures with disdain. While the negotiations around the tax bill are shaky, now is a key time to make sure Members of Congress know that the public doesn’t want to repeal the individual mandate. Please call your Members today at (844) 257-6227 and tell them tax reform should not come at the expense of cancer patients.

While this year’s ACA open enrollment is outpacing years past, final numbers are expected to be lower since the Administration has cut the time of enrollment in half. 4.5 million Americans can get covered at NO premium. They must just apply by 12/15. If you, or a friend or family member needs to sign up for health insurance, visit getamericacovered.org today!

NCCS Sends Letter to Sen. Finance Committee Opposing Graham-Cassidy ACA Repeal

September 25, 2017/in Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News, Policy Comments Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Health Care Coverage, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News, Policy Comments /by actualize

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee in response to a request for public testimony for today’s hearing on the Graham-Cassidy bill that aims to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill would erode pre-existing condition protections, which cancer patients and survivors rely on to be able to purchase affordable health coverage. The bill would also gut Medicaid funding—a program which covers as many as one-third of children who have cancer. NCCS urges Congress to undertake a bipartisan process that would provide ample opportunity for health care experts, patient advocates, other stakeholders, and the American public to participate in and observe the development of legislation.

Read the full text of the letter below.

September 25, 2017

The Honorable Orrin Hatch
Chairman
Committee on Finance
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Ron Wyden
Ranking Member
Committee on Finance
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden:

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship represents survivors of all forms of cancer. We are writing to voice our opposition to the Graham-Cassidy legislation. We believe that this legislation, in its original form or in the revised version scheduled for release on Monday, September 25, will put cancer patients and survivors at risk of losing access to cancer care.

Cancer patients consistently say that their diagnosis with cancer changes their lives forever. Many report great stress and fear about managing their initial cancer treatment and follow-up survivorship care. That stress relates to navigating the health care system, making decisions about care, and having the means to pay for their care. Of course, when a person receives a cancer diagnosis, that person forevermore has a pre-existing condition.

The Graham-Cassidy legislation will erode the protections against pre-existing condition limitations that Americans currently enjoy. Cancer patients will likely face higher premiums for coverage that does not cover all elements of their care. They will also face more significant financial burdens related to their care, meaning more of them will have to address financial toxicities associated with their care. A cancer diagnosis is tough news. Graham-Cassidy will make things even tougher for cancer patients.

There will also be overall funding reductions as the result of Graham-Cassidy, with some states facing steep reductions in their funding and therefore facing an impossible task of ensuring assistance for those who need help affording their insurance.

Because many cancer patients – as many as one-third of children with cancer – rely on Medicaid for their care, significant changes in Medicaid pose a threat to those patients. We are particularly concerned about the ability of cancer patients to receive appropriate and adequate treatment, including life-saving new therapies, in the future.

From the time of the release of the Graham-Cassidy legislation, NCCS has offered strong cautions about its impact on cancer patients. We have urged that Congress undertake a thoughtful and deliberate process for consideration of health reform legislation, a bipartisan process that would provide ample opportunity for health care experts, patient advocates, other stakeholders, and the American public to participate in and observe the development of legislation. We have also recommended that no legislation move forward until a full Congressional Budget Office estimate is released and reviewed.

We offer the warnings about the lack of a transparent and open process again, with greater urgency. We understand that a significant revision of the Graham-Cassidy bill is soon to be released. One version of this revision – we understand there may be several iterations – would put cancer patients at even greater risk of being unable to purchase adequate health insurance. We would also point out that the Congressional Budget Office score that will be released will not be an analysis of the revised bill.

A bill – now revised – that puts so many Americans at risk should not be rushed through the legislative process.

The Committee on Finance should use the hearing on Monday, September 25, as a first step in a bipartisan effort at reform. The time of the committee should not be spent on consideration of a bill that may be released only minutes before the hearing.

We stand ready to participate in an open and deliberate process to improve Americans’ access to affordable and adequate health insurance.

Sincerely,

Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP
Chief Executive Officer

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

ACA Update | September 22, 2017 – Graham-Cassidy Bill: Patient Groups Opposed, McCain Says No, but Threat Continues

September 22, 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

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.

Senators Graham and Cassidy are working hard to get their bill, known as the “Graham-Cassidy bill,” passed before the September 30th deadline. The Graham-Cassidy bill would eliminate the ACA’s subsidies and the Medicaid expansion and instead gives block grants to states to create their own individual health systems.

Nearly every patient group, the American Medical Association, AARP, all 50 state Medicaid directors (NAMD), and insurers agree that this bill would be bad for Americans. “Taken together, the per-capita caps and the envisioned block grant would constitute the largest intergovernmental transfer of financial risk from the federal government to the states in our country’s history,” NAMD’s board of directors wrote in a statement Thursday. Friday afternoon, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) issued a statement saying, “I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal.” This is a very encouraging development, but we must remain vigilant until Graham-Cassidy is defeated and there no longer exists a threat to repeal the ACA.

“There are so many unknowns about this bill, but one thing is for sure: it would be terrible for patients.”

NCCS had many concerns with the Graham-Cassidy legislation, namely that it eliminates critical patient protections like ensuring those with pre-existing conditions cannot be discriminated against. The ACA banned insurers from charging sick people more than healthy people, and required that all plans include coverage for essential services like prescription drugs and hospital visits (known as essential health benefits). The Graham-Cassidy bill allows states to get rid of these ACA protections, which are absolutely critical to Americans living with cancer and other illnesses. We cannot go back to the days when insurers charged individuals with pre-existing conditions exorbitant premiums for skimpy coverage. This is why it’s critical that you call your Senators today at (844)257-6227 and tell them to vote NO on Graham-Cassidy.

New Analysis: Graham-Cassidy Plan Would Decrease Federal Funding for States by $160 Billion from 2020-2026 https://t.co/slA9nRIfFz pic.twitter.com/GNC52v0j7O

— KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) (@KFF) September 21, 2017

Not only would this legislation dismantle significant parts of the ACA, but it would also drastically cut health care leaving already money-strapped states to pick up the tab. The block grants are estimated to be $107 billion less than what the federal government would have spent over the period 2020-2026 for ACA coverage. As Kaiser Family Foundation reports, there are winners and losers with the funding formula for the states, and the 31 states that expanded Medicaid will lose significant funding to provide health care to their constituents.

Another concerning aspect of the bill is the fact that the already insufficient block grant funding disappears after 2026. There are so many unknowns about this bill, but one thing is for sure: it would be terrible for patients. Additionally, because Republican leaders are pushing this bill through before the September 30th deadline, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will not have enough time for a full score to determine the impacts of this legislation. Senators will likely be voting on this bill without a full picture of its impacts on our nation’s economy, and they will not know how many millions of Americans will be left without insurance if this bill becomes law.

Because cancer survivors would lose critical patient protections and access to comprehensive and affordable coverage, we strongly oppose the bill. Please contact your Senators at (844) 257-6227 to tell them to vote NO on the Graham-Cassidy bill as it would be harmful to cancer patients and survivors. We need a bipartisan and transparent process to strengthen the ACA and help provide critical long-term stability.

For more information on how you can get involved, check out our #ProtectOurCare page »

Follow NCCS on Twitter to stay updated on developments: @CancerAdvocacy.

“Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live” – A Letter to Sen. Murkowski from the CEO of Triage Cancer

September 22, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity NCCS News /by actualize

By Joanna L. Fawzy Morales, Esq.

CEO, Triage Cancer

Dear Senator Lisa Murkowski,

I am a cancer rights attorney who has spent the better part of two decades educating and helping people diagnosed with cancer navigate the health care system. While there are valid complaints about the increasing cost of the individual plans being sold in some state marketplaces, the ACA was game changing for the cancer community. It prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage or imposing exclusion periods for people with pre-existing conditions like cancer, AND it forbid insurance companies from charging people with pre-existing conditions more for their coverage.

The Graham-Cassidy bill removes those protections and leaves it up to states. To be totally honest, I live in California, and I am less worried about people in my state, because the large majority of our elected officials understand the importance of protecting health care consumers.

But my family lives in Alaska. And I worry about them. And I worry about everyone who will be impacted by this bill. And eventually, everyone will.

A few years ago, I was speaking at a national conference to a group of people who had been diagnosed with leukemias and lymphomas. After explaining various health insurance options and consumer protections in the ACA and how they have helped the cancer community, a woman stood up to ask a question. She told me she was from Alaska and had been recently diagnosed. Her employer didn’t offer health insurance coverage and she couldn’t afford to buy coverage. Making minimum wage, she would have qualified for Medicaid under the ACA, but at the time, elected officials in Alaska were still refusing to expand coverage. I was silent for a minute, trying to figure out how she could get coverage to cover the medical care she needed to save her life. And in the silence, a man in the audience said what I was hesitant to say. “Move,” he said. And he was right. If she lived in another state, like California, she would have coverage.

Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live, when faced with a serious medical condition. If you vote to approve the Graham-Cassidy bill, you will certainly be returning us to a time when tens of millions of people won’t have coverage to get the care that they need, but you will also certainly be condemning people across the country to death.

And if that sounds dramatic, it’s because it is.

I appeal to you as an independent thinker, and someone who seems to genuinely care about her constituents. Please vote no on the Graham-Cassidy bill.

Sincerely,
Joanna Morales, Esq.

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About the Author: Joanna Morales, Esq. is a cancer rights attorney, author, speaker, and CEO of Triage Cancer, a national nonprofit organization connecting people to cancer survivorship information and resources through a national speakers bureau, educational events, and online tools.

Follow Joanna on Twitter: @CancerRights.

NCCS Joins Cancer Groups to Oppose Graham-Cassidy ACA Repeal in a Letter to Senate Leadership

September 22, 2017/in Cancer News, Cancer Policy Blog, NCCS News, Policy Comments Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Financial Toxicity, Health Care Coverage, Health Equity, Pre-Existing Conditions NCCS News, Policy Comments /by actualize

NCCS joins patient and provider organizations in the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) in opposing the Graham-Cassidy-Heller Johnson legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The CLC sent a letter to Senators expressing serious concern that the legislation would adversely affect the ability of cancer patients to obtain affordable and adequate insurance coverage and appropriate cancer treatment.

Every segment of the cancer patient population — children with cancer, those diagnosed with cancer as older adults, those diagnosed with a second cancer, and adolescents, young adults, and older adults who are facing long-term survivorship — will be harmed by Graham-Cassidy. They will confront challenges in obtaining access to affordable and adequate insurance in a system of block grants with funding shortfalls and in which benefit, cost, and cost-sharing protections are compromised.

The CLC urges the Senate to reject the Graham-Cassidy legislation and to continue bipartisan efforts to stabilize the health insurance markets.

Read the full text of the letter below.

CANCER LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

A PATIENT-CENTERED FORUM OF NATIONAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS
ADDRESSING PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES IN CANCER

September 21, 2017

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Charles Schumer
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer:

The undersigned organizations, representing cancer patients and survivors and cancer care professionals, are writing to express serious reservations about the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. This legislation would adversely affect the ability of cancer patients to obtain affordable and adequate insurance coverage and appropriate cancer treatment.

There are numerous ways in which the Graham-Cassidy bill might harm cancer patients:

Cancer patients may not be able to afford insurance coverage of any sort, or the insurance that they can afford may not cover critical elements of their cancer treatment like drugs and other services. Under the bill, states may waive essential health benefits and community rating protections, actions that would put cancer patients at grave risk.
Older Americans will be especially hard hit by the ability of states to waive the age rating provisions of the Affordable Care Act and by the higher premiums that will result. Because cancer incidence increases with age, this provision of the legislation has an especially significant impact on cancer patients.
Financial toxicity will become a more significant side effect of cancer under the Graham-Cassidy bill, as patients lose annual and lifetime spending cap protections. Current lifetime and annual spending protections apply to essential health benefits, and state waiver of these benefits will make the spending cap protections meaningless.
Children with cancer who rely on Medicaid for their care may not have access to cutting edge cancer treatments and all elements of complex and comprehensive cancer care – or appropriate survivorship care — if Medicaid is governed by per capita caps.
Those who are diagnosed with cancer after 2026 have no assurances about the kind of marketplace in which they will seek insurance, because the Graham-Cassidy block grant program terminates after ten years.

Every segment of the cancer patient population—children with cancer; those diagnosed with cancer as older adults; those diagnosed with a second cancer; and adolescents, young adults, and older adults who are facing long-term survivorship—will be harmed by Graham-Cassidy. They will confront challenges in obtaining access to affordable and adequate insurance in a system of block grants with funding shortfalls and in which benefit, cost, and cost-sharing protections are compromised.

This nation has invested generously in cancer research and development, efforts that have yielded impressive advances in the treatment of many forms of cancer. Many Americans who are diagnosed with cancer survive for decades after diagnosis. The Graham-Cassidy legislation will threaten the ability of many cancer patients to purchase insurance that provides them access to life-saving cancer treatment, and it will hinder the ability of long-term survivors to afford health insurance.

We urge you to reject the Graham-Cassidy legislation because of the harm it will do to the cancer patients we represent. We also urge you to continue bipartisan efforts to stabilize the health insurance markets, an immediate first step toward addressing issues in our health care system.

Sincerely,

Cancer Leadership Council

American Society for Radiation Oncology
American Society of Clinical Oncology
CancerCare
Cancer Support Community
The Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy
Fight Colorectal Cancer
International Myeloma Foundation
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
LIVESTRONG
Lymphoma Research Foundation
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Prevent Cancer Foundation
Sarcoma Foundation of America
Susan G. Komen

cc: All Senators

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

ACA Update | September 20, 2017: NCCS Facebook Live – Harmful Graham-Cassidy Repeal Bill Breakdown & How You Can Help Stop It

September 20, 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

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.

Earlier today, NCCS hosted a brief Facebook Live event to break down the most recent developments about the harmful Graham-Cassidy ACA repeal bill and what you can do to help stop it from becoming law.

In the video, NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso and Policy Manager Lindsay Houff go over the details of this disastrous legislation that would cause millions of Americans to lose insurance coverage and access to affordable care, and would eliminate vital patient protections guaranteed by the ACA. Shelley and Lindsay also go over some ideas for what you can do to stop this bill in its tracks.

Call (844) 257-6227 to be directly connected to your Senators; tell them to vote NO on Graham-Cassidy and to support a bipartisan and transparent process to strengthen the ACA and help provide critical long-term stability.

For more information on how you can get involved, check out our #ProtectOurCare page »

Follow NCCS on Twitter to stay updated on developments: @CancerAdvocacy.

ACA Update | September 15, 2017: Cassidy-Graham Repeal Plan Is Devastating for Patients—and Is Gaining Support in the Senate

September 15, 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

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.

We have been monitoring and reporting on the proposed Cassidy-Graham repeal bill for several weeks, and now its threat is imminent. Yesterday, Senators Cassidy (R-LA) and Graham (R-SC) unveiled their health care plan at a press conference on Capitol Hill. Indications are that the sponsors of the bill are only a couple of votes away and this has moved up on the priority list for Senate Republican leadership to get done in September.

The bill not only gets rid of the ACA exchanges and block grants the law’s funding, but it also eliminates the Medicaid expansion and key patient protections, all of which have been critical for cancer survivors across the U.S. and is necessary for their access to affordable and comprehensive health care. We cannot let the Senate pass this terrible bill that would leave millions without health insurance. The Senate has started to work in a bipartisan fashion to stabilize the ACA markets, and this bill undermines those productive efforts. Senator McCain (R-AZ), whose dramatic vote against so-called “skinny” repeal killed the crusade in July, has spoken positively about the bill, giving supporters of the bill further hope that repeal can be achieved. Vox reports that while it will be difficult to get the 50 votes necessary for this bill, it is certainly possible.

https://twitter.com/sarahkliff/status/908039535493349379

As the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports, the bill would permit states to access waivers that would allow insurers to charge people with cancer more for their health care, a discriminatory practice that was made illegal under the ACA. Cancer survivors cannot go back to the days when insurers could deny or charge exorbitant premiums to those who have pre-existing conditions. Another concerning piece to the Cassidy-Graham bill is the fact that the funding for the health care block grants face a cliff in year 2026, meaning every dollar disappears thereafter.

Cuts in the Cassidy-Graham bill are bad every year. Then in 2027 they go off a cliff. Coverage for millions at risk: https://t.co/kVl2LcvbLo pic.twitter.com/qT3uXXgUAN

— Center on Budget (@CenterOnBudget) September 15, 2017

This legislation is not only dangerous and irresponsible, but it would be devastating for patients who would be left with expensive health plans that did not cover prescription drugs, chemo therapy, or other critical services. This is unacceptable and NOW is the time to call the NCCS hotline at (844) 257-6227 and ask your Senators to say NO to the Cassidy-Graham repeal bill. We need a bipartisan and transparent process to strengthen the ACA and help provide critical long-term stability.

For more information on how you can get involved, check out our #ProtectOurCare page »

Follow NCCS on Twitter to stay updated on developments: @CancerAdvocacy.

ACA Update | September 8, 2017: Bipartisan ACA Hearings Convene; Cassidy-Graham Repeal Plan Looms

September 8, 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.

During two Senate HELP committee hearings this week on stabilizing the ACA market, two panels of insurance commissioners and governors agreed that funding cost-sharing reduction payments were critical in keeping insurers in the marketplace and avoiding premium increases of 20% or more. As we reported previously, CSR payments compensate insurers for the discounts they are mandated under Obamacare to provide on out-of-pocket costs for lower-income customers. Both panels also suggested that reinsurance—payments to insurers to help pay claims for high-cost enrollees—would be a necessary component to stabilizing the market and making health care affordable. NCCS applauds Senators Alexander and Murray for convening these bipartisan hearings and encouraging an insightful dialogue about ways to move forward. At the moment, however, Republicans and Democrats have yet to agree on specifics, and it remains uncertain whether even a narrow stabilization bill will pass.

But while many are focused on stabilizing the ACA market, several Republicans are still focused on gutting the law, specifically Senators Graham and Cassidy. The two Senators have proposed a bill that would cut ACA funding by a third and gut the Medicaid program, with the most drastic cuts to states that expanded Medicaid. The Graham-Cassidy proposal would be more severe than any other ACA repeal bills that were considered and failed earlier this year. On Wednesday, Senator McCain told a reporter that he would support the Graham-Cassidy plan to repeal the ACA, but then later clarified by saying that he supports the bill in concept, but hasn’t seen a final product.

Today, at a bipartisan event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for American Progress [link to video], Governors Hickenlooper and Kasich discussed their joint plan to stabilize the country’s health insurance markets. The plan was created from a set of principles the two men wrote about in a Washington Post op-ed, in which they said another one-party health care plan is “doomed to fail,” just like the Republican plans considered this year. In the op-ed, they asserted that the best place to start reform efforts is “to restore stability to our nation’s health insurance system.” A major concern of this proposal is its openness to eliminate ACA guardrails and essential health benefits. During the event today, Governor Kasich said that states should have more flexibility with benefit design because young, health Americans don’t need as comprehensive coverage as others in the market. As cancer survivors know all too well, no one plans on being diagnosed with cancer and having comprehensive health insurance is critical for the more than 1.5 million Americans who were diagnosed in 2017.

NCCS will continues to analyze these proposals and others and provide further updates as necessary. It’s important to remember that not only has the ACA provided cancer survivors with unprecedented patient protections and has provided millions of Americans with quality and affordable health care, but it is also growing in popularity and most Americans want to work to improve the law, not repeal it.

For more information on how you can get involved, check out our #ProtectOurCare page »

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