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9-11-09 This Week in Health Care Reform
On Capitol Hill The Labor Day holiday marked the official end of summer recess and health care reform activity on Capitol Hill resumed at high speed. On Wednesday night, President Obama delivered his address on health care reform to a joint session of Congress. For months, ACS CAN has been working to help focus the debate through the cancer lens, and I’m proud to say – after watching the President’s remarks – that ...
9-16-10 Affordable Care Act Update
... Johanns (R-NE). The amendment addressed a provision in the Affordable Care Act that increases reporting requirements for small business. ACS CAN opposed the amendment because its financial offset was to strip the Prevention and Public Health Fund ($17 billion over 10 years) of nearly all its funding. As you know, the Affordable Care Act established the Fund to support important prevention programs like tobacco ... the interim final rule for preventive services. Under the Affordable Care Act, new plans are required to offer certain preventive services at no cost to patients. The services will be covered in plan years that begin after September 23, when several of the law’s important provisions go ...
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 ...
Cancer-Fighting Advocates Mark Great American Smokeout by Calling for Action to Prevent Tobacco Addiction
... are marking the American Cancer Society's 47 th annual Great American Smokeout tomorrow by calling on elected officials to protect the health of all Vermont residents by implementing strong tobacco control legislation. Advocates note that the need is particularly strong in Vermont, where ... earnings. Unsurprisingly, states with weaker tobacco control policies experienced significantly higher deaths. In Vermont, nearly one third of cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, and the state incurs an average of $404 million in health care costs directly caused by smoking every year. "Nearly ...
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 ...
Expand Access to Biomarker Testing in Vermont
Biomarker testing helps connect patients with the right treatment at the right time. ACS CAN and partners are working together to make sure more Vermont residents can benefit from this important testing. What is Biomarker Testing? In cancer care, biomarkers are often used to help determine the best treatment for a patient . A “ biomarker ” is a sign of a normal biological process, disease or abnormal function that can be measured in blood, tissue or bodily fluid. Biomarker testing is the analysis of a patient’s tissue, blood or other biospecimen for the presence of a biomarker. Political action is needed to ensure more Vermont ...
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 ...
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 ...