Policy Comments
The priority legislative and regulatory issues that the Cancer Policy Institute focuses on are driven by policy pillars that are centered around the values, needs, and preferences of individuals impacted by cancer. We work in conjunction with patients, patient advocacy organizations, medical associations, and other stakeholders to advance policies aimed at improving access to, affordability of, and quality of care across the cancer continuum.
Coalition letter supporting the passage of the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act. Passage of this legislation would reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), improving the rate of cancer screenings across communities leading to more people being screened, leading to ore cancers being diagnosed at earlier stages, and ultimately better outcomes for patients.
Group letter urging the passage of a comprehensive PBM legislation package that includes the Safe Step Act (S 652/ HR 2630). The inclusion of the SSA is vital to ensuring timely consumer access to medically necessary treatments.
Group letter expressing concerns with recent timeline changes to NTAP and providing recommendations to maintain NTAP's role of improving patient access to new technologies in the inpatient setting. The coalition letter recommends that CMS reverses course and reimplements the original approval timeline of 3 years for NTAP and provides a grace period or waiver of the new requirement for a complete and active FDA marketing application authorization for the first year of implementation.
Group letter urging House leadership to move the Telehealth Expansion Act of 2023, which the House Ways & Means Committee advanced on a bipartisan basis earlier this year. This legislation would ensure that crucial telehealth flexibilities continue on a permanent basis beyond the 2024 extension, protecting millions of Americans with employer-sponsored coverage from losing access to pre-deductible coverage of telehealth services.
Group letter in support of the District Court's decision to vacate the 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, which previously allowed commercial market healthcare plans to implement copay accumulator adjustment policies, creating barriers to access of necessary care.
Group letter in support of District Court's recent decision to vacate the provision of the Trump-era 2021 Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters (NBPP) allowing commercial market health plans to implement so-called “copay accumulator adjustment policies.”
Group letter outlining comments and recommendations regarding the implementation of the MP3 to increase accessibility, transparency, and equity of coverage.
Group letter commenting on the patient illness navigation (PIN) and community health integration (CHI) provisions of the CMS Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), recommending reimbursement of such services under Medicare.
Group letter on CY 2024 payment policies under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, expressing concerns about the adverse impact of the proposed rule on payment for radiation oncology services and the potential adverse impact on patient access to care.
Group letter commenting on the implementation of the MPPP and the need to make prescription drugs more affordable by allowing patients to spread their out-of-pocket Medicare prescription drug costs over a plan year as well as the need for transparent information sharing with patients and providers.