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On August 7, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance giving Medicare Advantage (MA) plans (private insurance plans approved by Medicare that cover hospital and medical expenses) the option of applying prior authorization and step therapy for physician-administered and other Medicare Part B drugs (effective January 1, 2019) stating that this policy change will lower costs, improve quality of life, and ensure that patients receive the most preferred treatment.

On August 1, 2018, the Administration finalized another policy that will impact access to quality health insurance coverage by expanding the availability of short-term, limited duration (STLD) insurance plans that are not required to cover essential health benefits or pre-existing conditions.

Each month, the Cancer Policy Insitute will be profiling advocates who have been engaged in advocacy in their home state, their community, with elected officials, and more. Read on to learn more about our featured advocate for the month of July and her passion for helping all those impacted by cancer and their families. If you are interested in learning more about policy, advocacy, and ways to get involved, sign up to be a part of the Grassroots Network!

DENVER, CO- For Britton and Jen Thomas, MyLifeLine, now a part of the Cancer Support Community (CSC), was a major source of social and emotional support after their significant others passed away from cancer.

What is sarcoma and why is it sometimes called the “forgotten cancer?"

Each month, the Cancer Policy Insitute will be profiling advocates who have been engaged in advocacy in their home state, their community, with elected officials, and more. Read on to learn more about our affiliate leaders visits on Capitol Hill this month and their individual experiences with advocacy. If you are interested in learning more about policy, advocacy, and ways to get involved, sign up to be a part of the Grassroots Network!

We mark Men’s Health Month every June to raise awareness of men’s health issues. This year, the month focuses on diabetes. Men are more likely than women to develop diabetes and may face a higher risk for certain types of cancer due to the link between diabetes and cancer.

Back in January, the Trump Administration proposed a new rule that would expand the availability of Association Health Plans (AHPs) that are exempt from regulations like the 10 essential health benefits (EHBs) set by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare). This week, the Trump Administration released a finalized policy to allow loosely affiliated business to band together as AHPs and offer plans that are not held to many important ACA consumer protections.

Today is the final day of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual conference, which is the largest gathering of oncology professionals from around the world.

Throughout the conference, we’ve posted blogs sharing our latest research on gastric cancer and melanoma. Today’s blog is a short post covering our research on patient-clinician communication about eating and nutrition.

Last Friday, you may have seen a post on our blog explaining that we will be sharing three Q-and-A blogs sharing the significance of our latest research abstracts at the American Society of Oncology’s annual conference that will greatly impact people affected by cancer.

Today’s blog covers our latest research on communication between melanoma patients and their health care team.

Below see our second Q-and-A with our President, Linda House, on the topic.