The Dempsey Center – An Oasis for Anyone Facing Cancer in Maine
On behalf of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Lewiston, Maine, in October for the annual Dempsey Challenge. Hundreds of cyclists rode between 10 and 100 miles to raise funds for the Dempsey Center. After attending the cancer survivors’ walk with hundreds of local survivors, patients and advocates, I had the chance to visit the Dempsey Center to see first-hand the incredible programs and services […]
NCCS Joins AARP In Opposing Medical Expense Deduction Repeal
NCCS joined a letter, spearheaded by AARP and sent to all members of the House of Representatives, opposing the proposed elimination of the Medical Expense Deduction. The proposed repeal is included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. A total of 37 organizations signed the letter. Read the letter below. November 7, 2017 […]
What Caught Our Eye: ACA Open Enrollment Info, Tax Bill Eliminates Medical Expense Deduction, A Young Med Student’s Lymphoma Story
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE) is our week-in-review blog series, where we recap the cancer policy articles, studies, and stories that caught our attention. Affordable Care Act – It’s Open Enrollment Season! Do You Know Your Health Insurance? – It’s officially “open enrollment season” and that means millions of Americans are about to dive into an alphabet soup of insurance choices. To help with this problem, Merck collaborated with health literacy […]
What Caught Our Eye: ACA Premiums; Excessive Cancer Care; Saving Lives With Policy; Horrifying Hospice Care; Cancer Drug Efficacy; and More
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. “When Silver Costs More Than Gold: How Trump’s Actions Have Scrambled Insurance Prices” Via New York Times — The rates for next year’s Obamacare plans are out, and they show how President Trump’s actions have scrambled the insurance marketplace. Usually, plans known as gold have higher monthly […]
ACA Update | October 27, 2017 – CBO: Bipartisan Alexander-Murray Bill Would Cut Deficit by $3.8 Billion
This week proved to be another busy week in health care. NCCS led a team with representatives from other cancer patient advocacy groups to attend meetings with Senators to encourage them to support the Alexander-Murray bipartisan stabilization bill. The Alexander-Murray bill would fund cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments through 2019 and restore $106 million of the funding for enrollment outreach over the same time period. In exchange for […]
NCCS Announces Dr. Julia Rowland, Former Director of Office of Cancer Survivorship at NCI, as Newest Board Member
NCCS announced that Julia Rowland, PhD, former Director of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS), has joined the Board of Directors. Dr. Rowland retired from the NCI in September after 18 years. Former NCCS CEO Ellen Stovall was integral to the creation of the Office of Cancer Survivorship and helped recruit Dr. Rowland as its leader. Dr. Rowland has a long history of collaboration with NCCS, including […]
NCCS Letter to HHS Highlights “Deep Reservations” Concerning Massachusetts 1115 Waiver
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) sent a letter to Eric Hargan, Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to express “deep reservations” regarding the proposal by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to amend its Section 1115 waiver. In the letter, NCCS states: Many cancer patients have been assured access to care through MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. We are concerned […]
ACA Update | October 23, 2017 – Bipartisan ACA Stabilization Bill an Important Step Forward
For months, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have been working on a market stabilization bill that would fund the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and include other provisions to keep insurers in the markets. The stabilization bill was tabled when the Graham-Cassidy legislation was being considered, but now that efforts to repeal the ACA have stalled, Senators Alexander […]
WCOE: Bipartisan Health Care Deal Details; Fertility Banks Underused by Young Male Survivors; Cancer Stress; High Drug Pricing; and More
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. “The Senate’s new Obamacare stabilization deal, explained” – By Dylan Scott, Vox.com — We have an Obamacare stabilization deal. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, who had been working with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray for the past few months, announced it this afternoon. This would be […]
NCCS’ Ellen L. Stovall Award Reception Recognizes Two Individuals Advancing Patient-Centered Cancer Care
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) presented its second annual Ellen L. Stovall Award for Innovation in Patient-Centered Cancer Care last night in Washington, D.C. After a nationwide competition, a distinguished selection committee chose this year’s winners, Pat Coyne, MSN, of the Medical University of South Carolina and Meg Gaines, JD, of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Mr. Coyne was nominated by […]
ACA Update | October 13, 2017 – Trump Administration Cuts Off Cost-Sharing Payments, Signs Executive Order to Undermine the ACA
After the actions President Trump took this week, there’s no question the Administration is actively working to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Yesterday, the President signed an Executive Order making sweeping changes to the ACA that would hurt patients and disrupt the ACA marketplace and he announced the Administration would halt cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. NCCS is alarmed by the efforts to undermine […]
NCCS Position Statement on Actions to Undermine ACA
October 13, 2017 The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) is alarmed by the actions President Trump took this week to undermine the Affordable Care Act. These decisions are likely to destabilize the individual insurance market and put affordable and adequate health insurance out of reach for millions of Americans. The health and well-being of […]
What Caught Our Eye: Trump Acts to Undermine ACA; Susan Gubar Reviews ‘Cancer Humor’ Books; Life After Cancer; and More
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. “Trump Administration To End Obamacare Subsidies For The Poor” – The Trump administration said Thursday that it would end the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reduction payments designed to help low-income Americans get health care. Not paying the subsidies, health care experts have warned, […]
NCCS Statement on President Trump’s Harmful Health Care Executive Order
President Trump signed an executive order on health care today that directs federal agencies to write rules allowing association health plans and short-term health plans to be created, with neither being subject to the essential health benefit requirements of plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many independent health analysts […]
ACA Update | October 6, 2017 – The Trump Admin’s ACA Sabotage, a Grass Roots Effort to Counter It, and a Possible New Repeal Threat
Although the cancer community was pleased that the harmful Graham-Cassidy bill failed, the Affordable Care Act is still at great risk. Currently, the Administration is actively undermining the ACA by drastically cutting the budget for enrollment, cutting the time period for open enrollment in half, and cutting outreach and navigator budgets. A group of ACA proponents recently banded together to work to help Americans enroll for the health care […]
WCOE: Countering HHS’s ACA Enrollment Suppression, FDA’s Gottlieb on Expanded Access/Right to Try, “Cancer Stories No One Wants to Hear”
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE) is our week-in-review blog series, where we recap the cancer policy articles, studies, and stories that caught our attention. — “As ACA enrollment nears, administration keeps cutting federal support of the law” – By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post — With the fifth enrollment season set to begin Nov. 1, advocates say the Health and Human Services Department has done more to suppress the number of people […]
What Caught Our Eye: Graham-Cassidy Fails; Cancer Survivorship Care Lacking in Primary Care; A Survivor’s Cancer Care Wishlist
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. “The Health 202: Five lessons from the GOP’s failed effort to repeal Obamacare” – Some Republicans will forever carry a torch for repeal of the Affordable Care Act. But it’s hard to see how the door really opens again in the near future — at least as widely as it has been since the start […]
ACA Update | September 29, 2017 – Repeal Pulled for Now, Trump Admin’s Active Efforts to Undermine ACA Marketplace Ramp Up
As you probably heard, earlier this week Republican leadership acknowledged they did not have the votes to proceed with the Graham-Cassidy bill, after nationwide opposition put immense pressure on key Senators. Thank you to all of you who called, wrote and visited your Members of Congress to explain to them how harmful this bill would be for cancer patients. And thank you for using your voice on social media to share information […]
NCCS Sends Letter to Sen. Finance Committee Opposing Graham-Cassidy ACA Repeal
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 […]
ACA Update | September 22, 2017 – Graham-Cassidy Bill: Patient Groups Opposed, McCain Says No, but Threat 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 […]
“Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live” – A Letter to Sen. Murkowski from the CEO of 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 […]
NCCS Joins Cancer Groups to Oppose Graham-Cassidy ACA Repeal in a Letter to Senate Leadership
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 […]
ACA Update | September 20, 2017: NCCS Facebook Live – Harmful Graham-Cassidy Repeal Bill Breakdown & How You Can Help Stop It
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 […]
What Caught Our Eye: Cassidy-Graham Repeal Bill Analysis; Bipartisan Talks; Improving End-of-Life Care; Biosimilars in Cancer; and More
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), September 15, 2017 – “New Graham-Cassidy Bill: A Last GOP Shot At ACA Repeal And Replace Through Reconciliation” – By Timothy Jost, Health Affairs — The fundamental idea of the Graham-Cassidy bill is to terminate the ACA’s Medicaid expansions, premium tax credits, cost-sharing reduction payments, small business tax credits, and Basic Health Program as of 2019 and redistribute the money […]
ACA Update | September 15, 2017: Cassidy-Graham Repeal Plan Is Devastating for Patients—and Is Gaining Support in the Senate
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. […]
ACA Update | September 8, 2017: Bipartisan ACA Hearings Convene; Cassidy-Graham Repeal Plan Looms
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 […]
What Caught Our Eye: Cassidy-Graham Repeal Plan; Bipartisan ACA Hearings; Financial Issues for Childhood Survivors; IBM’s Watson Not Living Up to Expectations; and More
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), September 8, 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. | “Cassidy-Graham: the Obamacare repeal plan McCain is supporting, explained” — The senator who cast the final vote to kill Obamacare repeal is unexpectedly helping to revive that effort from the dead. Sen. John McCain told the Hill Wednesday that he would support a plan […]
ACA Update | August 25, 2017: Bipartisan ACA Hearings in Sept.; Graham-Cassidy Repeal Plan; Zero Counties Remain Without ACA Insurer
With only one week left of August congressional recess, NCCS is preparing for a busy September. Senators Alexander and Murray are working on bipartisan health care legislation with the goal of helping stabilize the ACA marketplace and ensuring the law’s cost-sharing reductions (CSR) payments. However, Senators Graham, Cassidy and Heller are still actively pursuing their plan to repeal the ACA. As the Center on Budget and Policy […]
WCOE: Graham-Cassidy Repeal Plan Has Deep Cuts; Bipartisan ACA Hearings Set; Sticker Shock Over Leukemia Drug; New Palliative Care Study; & More
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), August 25, 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. – “Cassidy-Graham Would Deeply Cut and Drastically Redistribute Health Coverage Funding Among States,” Via Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) — The Cassidy-Graham plan would have much the same damaging consequences as […]
ACA Update | August 18, 2017 – CBO: Cutting CSRs Would Cost Gov’t $194 Billion, Raise Premiums; Trump Admin Funds CSRs for One Month
August recess is typically a quiet time in Washington, but that is not the case this year. Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office released an analysis that found that ending cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments, as President Trump has repeatedly threatened, would increase the deficit by $194 billion over 10 years. Cutting the cost-sharing payments would end up costing the government more because insurance companies will […]
What Caught Our Eye: ACA News; Cancer Trials Face Patient Shortage; Acupressure Can Relieve Cancer Fatigue; More on Liquid Biopsies
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. “GOP senator meeting with White House on new ObamaCare plan” — Via The Hill — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he’s meeting with the White House and the Trump administration “two or three times per week” on a plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Cassidy has teamed up with Senators […]
ACA Update | August 11, 2017: A Bipartisan Plan for the ACA; and Insurers Say Uncertainty Is Driving Premium Rate Hikes
It has been a relatively quiet week on Capitol Hill with Members of Congress on recess and back in their home states and districts. On Wednesday, a bipartisan health policy coalition announced a plan that they will be presenting to Members of Congress to strengthen and stabilize the ACA, pay all the federal subsidies provided under the ACA, and to encourage enrollment in coverage. […]
What Caught Our Eye: Strengthening the ACA; the Harm of Medical Debt; Bone Symptoms After Treatment; and More
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. Affordable Care Act – “Donald Trump Owns Obamacare Now” – Via Vox.com — “We’ve spent months now watching Congress debate and decide the future of the Affordable Care Act. Sometimes, we’ve even done so until 2 am, spending a very late night […]
What Caught Our Eye 8/4: GOP Governors Look to Cut Medicaid, Young Cancer Survivors Struggle Socially, Right to Try, FDA Funding, & More
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. “Republicans in Congress Bypass Trump to Shore Up Health Law” – Via New York Times — Congressional Republicans moved on Tuesday to defuse President Trump’s threat to cut off critical payments to health insurance companies, maneuvering around the president toward bipartisan legislation […]
ACA Update | August 4, 2017: After Repeal Failure, Focus Turns to Cost-Sharing Payments and Market Stabilization
Since the “skinny repeal” bill’s dramatic failure in the Senate last week, all eyes have been on critical cost-sharing payments (CSR’s) and market stabilization. The Senate HELP Committee, led by Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-LA) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), have only weeks to address these issues, before insurance companies make their final decisions on premium rates for 2018 Obamacare plans. In a long-awaited […]
Senate Votes Down Repeal Plan
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 […]
NCCS Statement on Senate’s Rejection of Harmful Health Care Freedom Act
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship issued the following statement regarding the defeat of the harmful Health Care Freedom Act in the Senate. The bill failed by a vote of 49-51. “The defeat of the so-called Health Care Freedom Act is a long-awaited victory for millions of cancer patients, survivors, their families. It is unconscionable […]
ACA Update | July 27, 2017: Senate GOP Tries “Skinny Repeal,” Which is Still Terrible for Patients
On Tuesday, 50 Republican Senators voted in favor of a “motion to proceed,” which opened debate on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The first of three bills brought to a vote for consideration was a repeal and replace bill, or the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). The BCRA failed to pass with three Republicans voting against it. On Wednesday, a partial repeal bill was brought to a vote and failed, this time with […]
ACA Update | July 21, 2017: Despite Public Opposition, ACA Repeal Still Alive; Vote Planned Early Next Week
Since January, the health care debate has been tumultuous and unpredictable—and this week was no exception. Four Republican senators announced early in the week that they oppose the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), stopping the bill from moving forward as planned. Thanks to your advocacy efforts here in D.C., the phone calls, emails and letters to your Members of Congress, YOU helped stop this destructive legislation […]
What Caught Our Eye: Health Care Repeal News; John McCain’s Diagnosis & Debate Over Cancer “Battle” Words; Drug Pricing; Cancer Screenings
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), July 21, 2017 – In the Spotlight – “These Americans Hated the Health Law. Until the Idea of Repeal Sank In.” Five years ago, the Affordable Care Act had yet to begin its expansion of health insurance to millions of Americans, but Jeff Brahin was already stewing about it. “It’s going to cost a fortune,” he said in an interview at the time. This week, as Republican efforts to repeal the law known as Obamacare […]
NCCS Statement on Senate’s Latest Health Care Reform Developments
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 […]
ACA Update | July 14, 2017: Updated BCRA Released; 30+ Cancer-Related Groups Join in Opposition
Yesterday, Senate leadership released an updated draft version of their health care repeal bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). As Andy Slavitt, former acting director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, states, “Trumpcare went from being very bad to unworkably bad.” The bill allows insurers to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and to charge higher rates to sick people. […]
NCCS and 33 Cancer-Related Patient Advocacy and Professional Organizations Jointly Oppose Senate’s Revised BCRA
Silver Spring, MD – 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. […]
NCCS Submits Comments to CMS, Stresses Importance of ACA and Outlines Steps to Strengthen Law
NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to a request for information, in which CMS asked for suggestions to empower patients and promote consumer choice, stabilize insurance markets, and enhance affordability. In our letter, NCCS stressed the importance of the Affordable Care Act, with its pre-existing condition protections, community rating requirements, essential […]
Open Letter to Congress: I Am Alive Because of the ACA (Guest Post)
By Rob DeLorenzo, Cancer Survivor – I am alive because of The Affordable Care Act (ACA). Having affordable and decent medical insurance allowed me to receive treatment for cancer which saved my life. But now you, our elected representatives in Congress, are voting to repeal the ACA and allow insurers to reinstate the pre-existing conditions exclusion, essentially voting for me and millions of others to lose […]
ACA Update | July 7, 2017: Senate GOP Try to Tweak ACA Repeal Bill as Dissent Grows During Recess
When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) decided to delay the vote for the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), there was a collective sigh of relief from the patient community. But our work is far from over. The Senate is still planning to move forward with their attempt to pass the bill, and now is a critical time to voice your opposition to this harmful legislation. The most recent Senator to speak out against the bill is North Dakota Senator John Hoeven […]
What Caught Our Eye: Advocates Raise Their Voices Over ACA Repeal; CDC Finds Disparity in Rural Cancer Deaths; Genetic Privacy; and More
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: “Local cancer survivor continues to fight, this time for health care” – From KRIS-TV – “I’m not just up there on Capitol Hill for myself, but I’m taking the concerns of our constituents here at home to Capitol Hill as well.” […]
Kirby Lewis: My NCCS CPAT Symposium and Hill Day Experience
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. CPAT members hailed from all over the country, with all types of cancer. In total, approximately 65 people […]
ACA Update | June 29, 2017: Senate Health Care Vote Delayed
As you likely heard on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he would not proceed with a vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) this week, as was previously planned. The BCRA, the Senate’s bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, was released last week in draft form and on Monday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their report on the bill. […]
NCCS Statement on CBO Report of Senate’s “Better Care Reconciliation Act”
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 […]
NCCS CPAT Member Jen Campisano’s Powerful Op-Ed Highlights Senate’s Secretive Health Care Repeal Process
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. […]
ACA Update | June 23, 2017: The Senate GOP Health Care Repeal Bill Is Worse Than We Thought
Yesterday, after weeks of working on their health care repeal bill in secret with no hearings, Senate Republicans released a “discussion draft” of their Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2016 (BCRA). After the House passed their bill (called the AHCA), Senators like Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said “The Senate will review the House bill but will write its own version over […]
ACA Update | June 16, 2017: As Negative Analyses Pile Up, Senate GOP Continues Secret Health Care Negotiations
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, […]
What Caught Our Eye: AHCA Would Cause 50% Rise of Uninsured Children, Crowdfunding Health Care Tragedies, Rare Cancers, and More
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” – 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 […]
NCCS Joins 120 Patient, Provider, and Consumer Organizations to Oppose Medicaid Cuts and Funding Caps
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 […]
ACA Update | June 9, 2017: Senate Finding Ways to Repeal ACA
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. […]
What Caught Our Eye: Poor Doctor-Patient Communication; Senate GOP & Medicaid Cuts; Using Cancer “Battle Words;” News from ASCO17
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE) is our week-in-review blog series. June 9, 2017 | In the Spotlight: Via USA Today — For patients near the end of life, talking about their goals and values can help people avoid unwanted medical interventions, said Dr. Rachelle Bernacki, associate director of the Serious Illness Care Program at Ariadne Labs, a health care research center led by Dr. Atul Gawande. […]
My Takeaway from Hill Visits: Empathy is in Short Supply
With the health reform debate moving to the Senate following passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in the House, I’ve spent the last few weeks meeting with numerous Senate offices on both sides of the aisle. During one such meeting with a Republican Senator’s health policy team, I outlined the many reasons the AHCA would be harmful to cancer patients, survivors, and their families. High on that long list of issues are the […]
ACA Update | June 2, 2017: AHCA is Widely Unpopular, Senate Continues Negotiations
During meetings with Senate offices this week, NCCS learned that negotiations continue and a consensus on the Senate version of the AHCA has yet to be struck among Republicans in the chamber. However, we also learned alarming news that the Senate version is likely to be very close to the version the House passed in early May. Anything that remotely resembles the AHCA would be catastrophic, and we cannot allow such a […]
What Caught Our Eye: Only 31% View AHCA Favorably, Immunotherapy Hope & Hype, Male Breast Cancer, the Stigma of Lung Cancer
What Caught Our Eye (WCOE), June 2, 2017: “Kaiser Health Tracking Poll Shows Americans View AHCA Unfavorably” — With Congress currently discussing the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a plan that would repeal and replace the 2010 health care law, this month’s Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that more Americans have an unfavorable view of the plan than a favorable one (55 percent vs. 31 percent, respectively). […]
