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... on Deficit Reduction, better known as the "super committee," announced it was unable to devise a deficit reduction plan that a majority of the committee's members could support. Under the Budget Control Act, the legislation that created the super committee, automatic ... be.   Also important to keep in mind is that more than 50 percent of cancer patients rely on Medicare and Medicaid for their treatment. ACS CAN fought hard to prevent cuts and protect access to these programs. On that front, the lack of a super committee plan yielded a good outcome as ... 30­-plus percent of the Medicare population is thought to be obese. Under the Affordable Care Act, these services will be offered without cost sharing.   DRUG SHORTAGE The American Cancer Society and ACS CAN are closely monitoring the nation's drug shortage. The overall number of ...

... prohibitions on rescinding insurance after a policy holder becomes ill, lifetime and annual caps, pre-existing condition restrictions, and cost sharing for preventive services.   Legislation already introduced that would repeal the medical loss ratio (MLR) provision included in the Affordable Care Act was also discussed. The MLR provision requires insurers in the individual and small group markets to spend 80 percent of premiums on medical care and quality improvement activities, and requires larger plans to spend 85 percent of premiums.   ACS CAN opposes both legislative proposals because they would eliminate some of the most important consumer protections that ACS CAN advocated for in ...

Litigation Update   This was a blockbuster week at the Supreme Court, which hosted three days of arguments on the Affordable Care Act, an unprecedented amount of time in the modern era which underscores the critical nature of the challenges. Although the media coverage was extensive, we wanted to provide ACS CAN's perspective.   As you know, the Society and ACS CAN, along with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association ...

Federal Update   In the past week, the Administration issued four proposed regulations that are important components of building a new available, affordable, and comprehensive health insurance system.   The regulations complement and supplement the health ... detailed blueprints for various functions will operate, and collectively will provide a much more coherent insurance system for consumers. ACS CAN will review these proposals and consider making comments, probably in coordination with other consumer groups.   Health Insurance Premium Tax ... out the rules for obtaining subsidies for private insurance in the health exchanges. Generally, this affects people between 133 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level who may be eligible for premium subsidies. The proposal explains the process for collecting and verifying information ...