Drug scarcity’s dire cost, and some ways to cope
/in Cancer News NCCS NewsWhen Jenny Morrill, who has been battling ovarian cancer since 2007, went to the hospital for her scheduled chemotherapy treatment in June, the nurse greeted her with both good news and bad. “She said, ‘The good news is that you’re doing really well on this drug Doxil. The bad news is that we have no […]
When care is worth it, even if end is death
/in Cancer News Palliative Care, Quality Cancer Care NCCS NewsAn essay by Peter Bach, M.D. Twenty years ago, I helped save a man’s life. I met him in the emergency room of the hospital, just a year after I finished medical school. His cardiac monitor, the first thing I noticed, showed fast and irregular beats with bursts of a messy, wavy rhythm called ventricular […]
Status as a grandfathered health plan
/in Cancer News, Policy Comments Access to Care, Affordable Care Act NCCS News, Policy CommentsPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act NCCS endorsed Cancer Leadership Council comments The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Secretary Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 RE: OCIIO-9991-IFC: Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Coverage Relating to Status as a Grandfathered Health Plan Under the Patient Protection […]
Dependent coverage of children to age 26
/in Cancer News, Policy Comments Access to Care, Affordable Care Act NCCS News, Policy CommentsPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Secretary Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 RE: OCIIO- 4150-IFC Dear Secretary Sebelius: The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) appreciates this opportunity to comment on the interim final rules related to coverage of dependents to age 26. […]
Cancer ‘always in the back of my mind’ for 3-time survivor
/in Cancer News NCCS NewsNCCS volunteer and Super Advocate, Jasan Zimmerman, is featured in a CNN Health article about childhood cancer survivors. The article references a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that finds that survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk of dying of second cancers and circulatory diseases 25 years or more after their diagnosis. […]
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Supports Broad Adoption of Electronic Health Records
/in Cancer News, NCCS News NCCS NewsThe National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) announced its support of the two final rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) for the electronic health record incentive programs at a briefing hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and […]
Cancer Advocacy Groups Discuss the Issues at ASCO
/in Cancer News NCCS NewsLast month, more than 33,000 people attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Advocacy groups had a chance to meet with health care professionals and pharmaceutical industry representatives to discuss the latest issues in cancer. The latest issue of Oncology Times features an article, “ASCO Venue Provides Forums for Various Advocacy Discussions and Sound […]
One in Four elderly need care decisions made for them
/in Cancer News Care Planning, Palliative Care, Quality Cancer Care NCCS NewsNew study results demonstrates the value of people making their end-of-life wishes known and designating someone to make treatment decisions for them. The study, described in an Associated Press article, “1 in 4 elderly need care decisions made for them,” showed that a significant number of the elderly will eventually need someone to make end-of-life decisions about their care. […]
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Applauds Healthcare Reform
/in Cancer News, NCCS News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act, Health Care Coverage NCCS NewsThe National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), a leading non-profit cancer advocacy organization, praises members of Congress for the passage of the healthcare reform bill. The bill includes key provisions that protect patients, bringing America’s 12 million cancer survivors and the 1.5 million more that are diagnosed each year closer than ever to getting the […]
What Healthcare Reform Means to Cancer Survivors
/in Cancer News Access to Care, Affordable Care Act NCCS NewsYesterday, President Obama signed off on the historic healthcare reform bill, the most sweeping U.S. social policy legislation in decades. While the Senate begins considering the reconciliation package – the package of modifications to the health reform bill – now is a good time to get up to speed on what’s included in the bill, when […]
Kennedy Book, President of A&E Television Networks, To Receive Awards NCCS Gala
/in NCCS NewsNCCS has announced the honorees for its Rays of Hope Gala, which takes place in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010. Members of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s family will accept an award for the memoir, True Compass. Additionally, Abbe Raven, President & CEO of A&E Television Networks, will be recognized for taking […]
Examining End-of-Life Care
/in Cancer News Palliative Care, Quality Cancer Care NCCS NewsTwo recent articles in the trade publication, Oncology Times examine end-of-life care in America. The first article, “Health Reform May Push End-of-Life Discussion Forward,” references comments made by NCCS senior health policy advisor, Ellen Stovall, that address patients’ needs and the benefits of end-of-life care planning. The second article, “Patient Mindset Found Important to Participating in Advanced Care […]
The Many Shades of Survivorship
/in Cancer News Health Equity NCCS NewsA recent article in CURE magazine, “The Many Shades of Survivorship,” takes a look at health disparities in cancer education and care across the country and addresses what some groups and communities have done to address cultural issues and provide support.
NCCS Joins the Commission on Cancer
/in Cancer News, NCCS News NCCS NewsThe National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) has accepted an invitation to join the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a multidisciplinary organization administered by the American College of Surgeons dedicated to reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer through education, standards setting, and the monitoring of quality of care. The CoC has invited NCCS, a key […]
Offering Care for the Caregiver
/in Cancer News NCCS NewsCaregiving can be a demanding, exhausting, full-time job. Yet, doctors do not always consider caregivers to be an integral part of a health care team. A recentNew York Times article, “Offering Care for the Caregiver,” explores the critical role of caregiving and what is being done in the medical community to improve the doctor-patient-caregiver relationship. The article […]
Healing, Physically, Yet Still Not Whole
/in Cancer News NCCS News“Recuperation is just physical.[…] But recovery means wholeness: mind, body and spirit.” This distinction, made by prostate cancer survivor Dana Jennings in his latest New York Times Well Blog post, “Healing Physically, Yet Still Not Whole,” is an important one for cancer survivors. In so many instances cancer patiets receive treatment for their disease, but their psychological, […]
Did you know the Cancer Survival Toolbox is available in Spanish?
/in Cancer News, NCCS News NCCS NewsThe award-winning Cancer Survival Toolbox®, which has helped thousands of cancer survivors and their families navigate the complexities of a cancer diagnosis for more than 10 years, is available in Spanish-language CDs and MP3 files. New hematologic programs that focus on living with multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are also available in Spanish. This information was recently featured in a blog […]
It Takes a Team to “Breakaway from Cancer”
/in NCCS NewsYou don’t have to fight cancer alone. Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative aims to raise awareness of the comprehensive array of resources available to cancer patients – from prevention to education and support to financial assistance and survivorship. For the fourth consecutive year, NCCS is a charitable partner of Breakaway from Cancer. Other partners include […]
Katie Couric One of 20 Named “Rays of Hope” for Cancer Survivorship
/in NCCS NewsLast night, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) recognized 20 individuals and groups that have made extraordinary contributions to cancer survivorship. NCCS’s “Ray of Hope” awards were given to Rep. Lois Capps, Katie Couric, Sam Donaldson, Dr. John Durant, Dr. Harold Freeman, Scott Hamilton, former Sen. Connie Mack III, Pearl Moore, Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan, […]
NCCS Presents Awards to those with the Passion for Cancer Survivorship
/in Cancer News, NCCS News NCCS NewsOn April 19, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) celebrated the individuals and organizations who share a passion for improving quality cancer care at its annual Ribbon of Hope® Awards Gala at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. The honorees included actress and model, Karen Duffy; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Dr. […]