Updates matching "Access to Health Care"

Today the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding proposals to reduce prescription drug costs outlined in the administration’s Request for Information (RFI) regarding its Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs (blueprint).

HURST, Texas – State Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) on Thursday received the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s Advocacy in Action Award in recognition of his leadership to ensure Texans facing cancer do not also face health risks associated with step therapy, also known as “fail first”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that they will not approve Massachusetts’ request to restrict Medicaid prescription drug coverage to as few as one drug per class—a practice commonly called a “closed formulary”—unless a state foregoes all manufacturer rebates.

The Department of Labor issued final rules governing the creation of association health plans. Under the rule, AHPs would be exempt from current benefit and cost-sharing requirements.

Patient groups representing millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions filed an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief in the U.S. District Court case, Texas v. United States , citing the devastating impact patients would face should the court side with plaintiffs and move to invalidate the Affordable Care Act.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last night it will not defend several critical patient protections in the health law and instead is arguing to end them. If successful, the case could leave millions of Americans with serious illnesses unable to obtain health care coverage.

Today Virginia governor Ralph Northam signed into law a state budget that extends health care coverage to an estimated 400,000 low-income Virginians through the Medicaid program. Virginia is now the 33 rd state, in addition to Washington, D.C., to accept federal funding to provide health insurance coverage to adults earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level—just under $17,000 a year for a single adult. As part of the expansion, Virginia will require Medicaid recipients attend school, work, partake in job training or engage in some kind of community engagement for upwards of 80 hours a month in order to receive benefits. This requirement could pose significant challenges to cancer patients and survivors.