ACS CAN advocates for policies that provide access to treatments and services people with cancer need for their care - including those who may be newly diagnosed, in active treatment and cancer survivors.
Many cancer patients take multiple drugs as part of their treatment – often for many months or years. While drugs are not the only costly part of cancer treatment, finding ways to reduce these costs for patients and payers will significantly reduce the overall cost burden of cancer.
Many cancer patients have difficulty affording the cost of their prescription drugs, regardless of whether they are insured. This is especially true for newer drugs that do not have a generic equivalent. Many programs exist to help patients afford their medication. This fact sheet focuses on two of these – patient assistance programs and discount coupons.
ACS CAN joined organizations representing cancer patients, survivors, providers, and caregivers urging the administration to address barriers to access to care and coverage during the public health crisis
ACS CAN joined 50 groups representing, cancer patients, survivors, doctors, nurses, cancer centers, pharmacists and researchers urging Congress to address barriers to patient access to care and coverage.
The Medicare Access for Patients Rx (MAPRx) Coalition raises concerns about proposed changes to the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage plans
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters proposed rule. ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels.
ACS CAN supports legislative and regulatory policies at the state and federal level that prohibit patients from being surprise billed for unexpected out-of-network care.
Biological drugs, commonly referred to as biologics, are a class of drugs that are produced using a living system, such as a microorganism, plant cell, or animal cell. Like all drugs, biologics are regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Last year, the Administrative finalized a regulation that expands access to short-term, limited-duration insurance products. Short-term plans were originally intended to bridge gaps in comprehensive coverage – for instance, when an individual was between jobs and temporarily without access to an employer plan.
The incidence of cancer increases with age and thus the Medicare program is vitally important to millions of Americans who are undergoing active cancer treatment, are cancer survivors or who have not yet developed cancer.
Approximately 1.7 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2018.Age is one of the most important risk factors for cancer, with one half of cancer cases occurring in people over the age of 65.
On January 16, 2018, ACS CAN filed comments in response to CMS’ proposed rule implementing changes to the Medicare Part C and Part D programs. ACS CAN commented on a number of proposed policies.
ACS CAN submitted comments regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Survey called Innovation Center New Direction. The comments addressed: advanced alternative payment models, consumer-directed care & market-based innovations, physician specialty models, prescription drug models, and Medicare Advantage models.
In response to a request from FDA, ACS CAN has provided recommendations for areas of focus for the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE). Recommendations include assessing the applicability of drug "snapshot" data, evaluating the appropriateness of aggregating racial groups for ana
Despite the fact that US cancer death rates have decreased by 26 percent from 1991 to 2015, not all Americans have benefited equally from the advances in prevention, early detection, and treatments that have helped achieve these lower rates.
On November 10, 2015, ACS CAN hosted the first National Summit on Health Equity in St. Louis, Missouri. The summit brought together over 150 innovative thinkers in public policy, business, technology, academia, patient care, community health, and patient advocacy to examine public policy solutions for assuring greater health equity for cancer patients in the evolving health care system.
ACS CAN, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association released a joint statement providing principles for any entitlement reform proposal.
ACS CAN, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association released a joint statement in support of the Medicaid program, noting that any reforms should improve the value of care provided under the program and should not reduce access for Medicaid beneficiaries.
