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State Update   Thus far about 20 states have submitted a benchmark essential health benefits (EHB) plan to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The majority of remaining states, however, are likely to end up with the default plan (the largest small group ...   After the election, we expect HHS to release a multitude of proposed Affordable Care Act regulations, including those for EHB and cost sharing.  It is unclear at this time how much discretion states or insurers will have to make changes to the benchmark plan.  For example, how and under what circumstances can a state or plan make changes to the benefits within or among the 10 required EHB benefit categories?  HHS has suggested that some flexibility ...

State Lead Ambassador Summit Last weekend ACS CAN hosted its sixth annual State Lead Ambassador Summit in St. Louis for 48 volunteer leaders and their staff partners. The Summit included a town ... for implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Later in the weekend, breakout sessions were held on the essential health benefits provision of the law and why it is so important to achieving adequate coverage for cancer patients and survivors. At the end of the discussion, participants had the chance to build their own essential health benefits package as part of a group exercise designed to ...

... the funds needed to implement the law, such as subsidies for middle-class Americans to purchase insurance in state exchanges and elimination of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Both the budget resolution and White House plan would seek to reduce Medicare and Medicaid spending.   ... expenditures by standardizing the federal match and other program changes, and it would reduce Medicare expenditures by expanding the power of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which was established under the Affordable Care Act to reduce Medicare payments and services if they ... reductions without sacrificing the medical security of cancer patients and survivors and others with serious medical conditions. Read the ACS CAN talking points on entitlement reform proposals, and the April 15, 2011 ACS CAN press release on the House FY2012 Budget Resolution. Dr. Seffrin ...

Ambassadors Meet with Congressman John Tierney June 30, 2009 On Tuesday, June 30 ACS CAN volunteers (from left) Val Deland, Carol Clark, Kirsten Paragona, Michael Belkin, and Society staffer Katie King met with Congressman John ... to deny or limit coverage and ensuring that people with a chronic or catastrophic disease, such as cancer are not financially ruined by the cost of care. Congressman Tierney was knowledgeable and optimistic that reform is not only necessary but feasible in the near future. We thank the ...