Blog

While government officials and the medical community celebrate advances in precision medicine, patients often struggle to navigate a treatment landscape that increasingly resembles science fiction.

As the Midterm Election approaches and many prepare for the holiday season, it’s critical to remember that the open enrollment period to purchase health insurance coverage for 2019 is quickly approaching as well. This is the time to make sure that you and your loved ones have access to comprehensive, quality, and affordable coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

While clear advances have certainly been made in treatment and survival, there remains a critical need to better understand the quality of life implications of survivorship. We applaud the multidisciplinary approach of cancer care, and also advocate strongly for an even more comprehensive view of treating patients, above and beyond the treatment of their disease.

In cancer care, goals should be informed by what the patient considers to be most important. This is why our team at the Research and Training Institute is developing a new tool that can be used to measure what really matters to patients- Valued Outcomes in the Cancer Experience (VOICE™).

Each month, the Cancer Policy Insitute profiles 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 September and his passion to advocate for education, patient support, and policy change. 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!

November is quickly approaching, which means Election Day, Tuesday, November 6^th, will be here before we know it. As we lead up to this day, the Cancer Support Community’s Cancer Policy Institute urges you to get involved and vote! Read our blog for important information about registration deadlines, voter resources, and more.

Shannon Miller is a 7-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics. She’s also a mother, an author, a dedicated health and wellness advocate - and an ovarian cancer survivor. An unexpected cancer diagnosis, and the treatment journey that followed, forced her to discover a new normal and has further fueled her passion of empowering and educating women around health and wellness. She’s partnered with TESARO and Our Way Forward to encourage patients, their loved ones and healthcare providers talk about ovarian cancer. Learn more, and read other blog perspectives at https://www.ourwayforward.com/.

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 August and her passion for defending and increasing access to health care for all . 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!

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.