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ACS CAN Letter: Proposed Changes to Medicare Drug Coverage Could Delay Cancer Patients’ Access to Treatment

 Washington, D.C.—Today the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) submitted comments to the Department Health and Human Services (HHS) detailing ways in which proposed changes to Medicare Part D’s six protected classes could jeopardize cancer ... – including step therapy and prior authorization – to limit access to protected class drug therapies. The comment letter details how cancer care often requires specialized treatment targeted at a patient’s specific tumor and that such treatments are rarely interchangeable. In ... “can lead to patients not filling their prescriptions or underutilizing medications. Prescription drug noncompliance can lead to poorer health outcomes for the beneficiary as well as increased costs to the Medicare program.” Additionally, the letter raises alarm about patient ...

Television and Digital Ad Campaign Calls on HHS Secretary Azar to Stop Proposed Changes to ‘Six Protected Classes’

... The ads will run on television and social media and feature actual cancer survivors and Medicare beneficiaries urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to protect cancer patients’ lives by halting the proposed changes. The campaign premiered ... and medically appropriate therapies,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. “If finalized, these proposed changes could undermine health provider recommendations and create significant and potentially life-threatening delays in access to cutting-edge therapies that play a crucial role in cancer care.” The six protected classes policy was established more than a decade ago to ensure Medicare beneficiaries were able to have access to ...

ACS CAN Planning to Work Closely with Presumptive City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams

... advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and made workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re more determined than ever to ...

One in Five People With Cancer Participate in Medical Research Studies

... in cancer research. This expanded analysis includes more than 70% of people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. each year who received care at a variety of clinical settings, from community hospitals and academic medical centers to National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive ... to patients, we need an inclusive, accurate assessment of current participation to inform these policies,” said Joseph Unger, PhD, MS, a health services researcher and biostatistician at Fred Hutch and lead author of the study. “While we knew that patients play a significant role ... studies were derived solely from government-sponsored trials, the study authors used patient data from a diverse range of trial sponsors and care settings for this analysis. Importantly, the data included settings such as community hospitals, where a majority of U.S. cancer patients ...

New State Laws Will Increase Access to Lifesaving Screenings for Cancers Disproportionately Impacting Black Alabamians

... saving lives. The policies, championed by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), will increase access to crucial cancer care for Alabamians who have state-regulated health insurance plans. For many Black families in Alabama, cancer has taken a devastating toll, often because diagnoses come too late. ... cancer early can make the difference between life and death, no woman should have to choose between paying bills or getting the follow-up care she needs,” said Ella Perry, breast cancer survivor and ACS CAN volunteer. Although Black women are diagnosed with breast cancer at lower ...

Patients in Missouri Urge Passage of New Bill to Ensure All Copays Count

... today thanked Representative Wright and Senators Bernskoetter, Fitzwater, and Eslinger for introducing legislation that would require more health insurance plans to count all prescription drug copayments made by or on behalf of Missourians. The important health policy reform would prevent an increasingly common practice used by insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers called “copay ... affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We’re more determined than ever to stand together with our volunteers to end cancer as we ...

Regional Eligibility Screening Nearly Doubles Cancer Clinical Trial Opportunities, May Increase Enrollment, New Papers Show

... creation of automated screening tools and processes that would be integrated into provider workflows, directly interfacing with site electronic health records, that would search for trial eligibility in a regional manner. “We’ve laid the foundation for a new way of thinking about ... Referral, and Operations: Findings from a Survey , sought to gain insight into cancer clinical trial enrollment practices through a survey of health care providers such as physicians and nurses. The survey looked at both opening and recruiting for onsite trials and referring to offsite trials. ...

Arizona Cancer Advocates Applaud Governor’s Plan to Relieve Medical Debt

... treatment. Sometimes medical debt can’t be prevented. We recognize this and aim to minimize the negative impact debt has on a patient’s health and quality of life. This is why we proudly stand with Governor Hobbs and her plan to help alleviate this debt for many Arizonans.”  New findings led by American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers shows medical debt was associated with more days of poor physical and mental health, more years of life lost, and higher mortality rates for all-cause and leading causes of death at the county level in the United States. The ... that nearly three-quarters of cancer patients and survivors say they are worried about affording the cost of their current or future cancer care. roughly half of cancer survivors carried medical debt related to their treatment. Among those with medical debt, more than half said they had ...

Advocates Hold Cancer Action Day at State House, Urging Lawmakers to Expand Access to Biomarker Testing & Address Affordability Concerns

... of this testing that can open the door to lifesaving treatment.   “Commitments to increase affordability are needed by patients across the care continuum. From ensuring access to biomarker testing to addressing the ongoing cost of prescription medications, lawmakers have a role to play ... the financial weight of everyday decisions can be crushing. Granite Staters are looking for state leaders to intervene and prevent the costs of care from trending upward and potentially trapping them in a lifetime of medical debt,” said Mike Rollo, ACS CAN New Hampshire director of ... advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We’re more determined than ever to stand together with our volunteers to end cancer ...

Michigan House Passes Oral Chemotherapy Fairness Legislation

... advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and made workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. As we mark our 20th anniversary, we're more determined than ever to stand ...

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