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Conference Committee to Settle State Budget

Just before Memorial Day, the Senate voted to finalize its Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal. Following a similar trend of the House of Representatives, the Senate has voted to make cuts in the Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Programs along with the Tobacco Control Program, ... to maintain the language for the Office of Health Equity in the FY2010 budget so when more funding eventually becomes available, the program can be more effective than starting from scratch in future years. Please contact your State Representative and Senator and urge them to speak to ...

October 2012 Monthly Advocacy Update

CANCER VOTES Presidential Voter Guide President Obama and Governor Romney responded to ACS CAN's presidential questionnaire. Read the voter guide. Chris Hansen recently promoted the guides and other Cancer Votes activities in a series of local radio and television interviews aired across the country. Read the ACS CAN press release.   Presidential Debates Cancer Votes volunteers ... Read the Kaiser Health News story.   After the election, HHS is expected to release multiple proposed 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, such as how and ...

1-31-13 Affordable Care Act Update

Policy Update Preventive Care Coverage On February 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Labor issued an FAQ which clarified the coverage of some cancer preventive services. The FAQ ... found during a screening colonoscopy, insurers may not impose a co-pay on that service. This was an issue that the American Cancer Society, ACS CAN and the Kaiser Family Foundation highlighted in a report concerning the inconsistent implementation of this provision of the Affordable Care ... clarified that if a patient has a prescription for an over the counter tobacco cessation product, then the issuer must cover that product at no cost to the patient. Finally, HHS and DOL state that the preventive services regarding genetic counseling and evaluation for the routine breast ...

2-21-13 Affordable Care Act Update

Policy Update Preventive Care Coverage On February 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Labor issued an FAQ which clarified the coverage of some cancer preventive services. The FAQ ... found during a screening colonoscopy, insurers may not impose a co-pay on that service. This was an issue that the American Cancer Society, ACS CAN and the Kaiser Family Foundation highlighted in a report concerning the inconsistent implementation of this provision of the Affordable Care ... clarified that if a patient has a prescription for an over the counter tobacco cessation product, then the issuer must cover that product at no cost to the patient. Finally, HHS and DOL state that the preventive services regarding genetic counseling and evaluation for the routine breast ...

4/7/11 Affordable Care Act Update

...   House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) released a FY2012 budget resolution this week that includes severe cuts to several areas of critical importance to people with cancer, including Medicare, Medicaid, medical research, and disease prevention programs.   The resolution ... House Budget Committee approved the resolution Wednesday, and the full House will likely debate it next week. As many of you already know, ACS CAN is encouraging its grassroots advocates nationwide to contact their lawmakers in opposition to provisions that would cut and restructure ... discourage individuals and families from purchasing coverage through state-based exchanges for fear that getting a promotion or a new job might cost them thousands of dollars. ACS CAN supported an amendment offered by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) that would have mitigated the impact on ...

4-19-12 Affordable Care Act Update

In the States   As we previously noted in this space, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has tasked each state with defining an essential health benefits (EHB) package that will cover 10 broad ... market.  If a state fails to select a plan by September 30, the EHB benchmark defaults to the largest small-group plan in the state.   ACS CAN and several other consumer groups have created a survey tool to identify what benefits are actually covered in some of the potential state ... list, but rather a sampling of the most commonly used services across the 10 EHB categories HHS mandates. Also, we are not asking for any cost-sharing information such as co-insurance, co-pays and deductibles as those issues will be addressed through separate HHS regulations.   The ...

Franklin students lobby for raising tobacco age

By Scott Calzolaio MetroWest Daily NewsPosted Mar 30, 2018 at 6:39 PM FRANKLIN – One group of Franklin High School girls is a leading youth voice in state government’s decision to raise the tobacco age to 21. The pending Tobacco21 bill would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products to 21, an issue that a group of Franklin students has been lobbying for since last year. Currently, about 180 municipalities across Massachusetts have already made this change. ... at the Statehouse advocating for change is inspiring, said state Rep. Jefferey Roy, D-Franklin. He said he is willing to do everything he can to make sure their voices are heard. Franklin High School junior Teerithveen Pasricha was at the Statehouse last year and this year advocating ...

8-19-10 Affordable Care Act Update

... and ceases their ‘grandfather’ status if they choose to reduce benefits or substantially shift costs to patients. The comments filed by ACS CAN encourage the Administration to further strengthen the law for people affected by cancer by calling for greater disclosure to enrollees and more oversight of insurers. ACS CAN also responded to specific questions regarding changes to plan structure, physician network and formularies that would trigger a cessation of grandfathered status. You can view a full copy of our comments on the website.   Medical Loss Ration and the National Association of Insurance ...

9-2-10 Affordable Care Act Update

... laws and policies that help cancer patients and their families   Government Hosts Stakeholders Conference on Health Exchanges   The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted an all-day meeting Monday on health exchanges. The goal was to discuss some of the major issues that will need to be addressed in federal regulations of health exchanges. The day consisted of a series of panels with various stakeholders addressing their major concerns and interests. Steve Finan, ACS CAN’s senior director of Policy, was on the first panel, which looked at consumer and patient perspectives.   Among those in the audience were ...

7-8-10 Affordable Care Act Update

... Affordable Care Act. This will provide an opportunity for interested parties to submit data and other information relevant to the implementation of the menu labeling provisions in the new law. The provisions require restaurants and retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 ... to the Affordable Care Act, some state and local governments required restaurants in their jurisdiction to post nutritional information. ACS CAN has worked on this issue on the state level for a number of years, and will submit formal comments to the FDA. The Affordable Care Act requires ... more people got screened.   The Affordable Care Act will greatly improve screening rates by improving access to insurance coverage and removing cost barriers to screening.   The report provides solid evidence that improvements in screening rates could yield dramatic results: 1,900 ...

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