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Congress Prioritizes Cancer Research and Prevention in 2017 Budget

... Congress announced a bipartisan 2017 budget deal that contains a $2 billion increase in medical research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including $475 million more for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The budget also maintains funding for cancer control programs at ... (CDC), including the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program - and protects tobacco control measures at the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). A statement from Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) follows: “Congress reached ... comprehensive approach also requires effectively tackling the number one preventable cause of cancer—tobacco use.  The Office of Smoking and Health (OSH) leads federal efforts to reduce tobacco-related death and disease by funding activities that help prevent youth from starting to use ...

CMS Proposes a Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to Allow for More Flexible Payment for Patients Under Part D Prescription Plans

... Prescription Payment Plan.   “ Research continues to show that high copayments can decrease medication adherence, which results in negative health outcomes. CMS’ proposed actions to impose out-of-pocket caps and increase payment flexibility via multiple payment options and selection of charge dates can help ease the patient burden and improve access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.  “We urge CMS to expand the proposed policy to follow enrollment in the program at the point of sale. We ...

Ending the sale of Menthol in Cigarettes and Flavors in Cigars Key to Achieving Cancer Moonshot Goals

... services, advance research, and advocate for evidence-based public policies designed to reduce pain and suffering due to cancer and reduce health care disparities. The elimination of menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes is one of the most important public policy actions this ... millions of cancer patients, survivors and caregivers tell White House that finalizing rules will save lives and leave a lasting public health legacy Ending the sale of Menthol in Cigarettes and Flavors in Cigars Key to Achieving Cancer Moonshot Goals ...

30 Patient and Provider Groups Warn that Mifepristone Ruling Threatens All FDA-approved Drugs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Our organizations, representing patients with serious health conditions, condemn Judge Kacsmaryk’s decision which threatens to restrict access to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved ... for Hippocratic Medicine et al v FDA et al, sets a dangerous precedent that erodes an institution critical to Americans having access to the care they need. For decades, the FDA has ensured the safety of drugs and treatments in the United States. The FDA’s processes for assessing a ... of America Muscular Dystrophy Association National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship National Health Council National Hemophilia Foundation National Multiple Sclerosis Society National Organization for Rare Disorders National Psoriasis ...

Wisconsin Teen (and ACS CAN volunteer) shares how research saved his leg & and his life

... a briefing at the U.S. Capitol.ξ His message was very clear a new treatment developed through research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) saved his leg, and possibly his life. As you can imagine, cancer research means a lot to me and many other cancer patients who have ... I need the federal government to help with me, he said. We need the government to stand with us and continue funding the National Institutes of Health in their cancer research efforts. After the briefing, Ian and his mother, Kay, one of ACS CAN's lead volunteers in Wisconsin, had meetings ... federally funded cancer research had on his life. Kay Lock also shared how IanŠ—Ès cancer affected their family, and how the palliative care that Ian received as a cancer patient made the experience easier for both Ian and the family. To watch Ian at the briefing, click here . ...

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 ...

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 Bipartisan Legislation Would Make It Easier for Cancer Patients to Participate in Clinical Trials 

... are not considered as taxable income or counted against income limits for programs such as Medicaid.  Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be able to provide grants for community education, outreach and recruitment activities to enable greater ... trial engagement with underrepresented populations. Grant-eligible activities would include working with community trial sites and community health centers, training health care personnel and clinical trial investigators, engaging community stakeholders to encourage clinical trial participation and fostering ...

Misuse of March-In Authority Could Jeopardize Progress in Cancer Research and Prove Ineffective in Intent to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

... innovations over the last 40 years. We share the Administration’s mission to lower drug costs, and no discovery that could improve public health should sit on a shelf or be inaccessible to the public. Nonetheless, we remain concerned about the effectiveness of utilizing march-in ...

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