Every year between October 15 and December 7, Medicare beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare coverage. This “open enrollment” period provides an important opportunity for individuals over the age of 65 to review their Medicare coverage to determine if a different plan may better meet their needs. If a beneficiary decides that they do not want to make any changes, then no action is required. It may be helpful to think of open enrollment as an annual ‘check-up’ for Medicare coverage and benefits.

On November 10, 2020, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in a legal challenge that seeks to strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the ACA remains the law of the land for now, it is important for all people, including cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, to understand the potential implications and what this case means for them. If the Supreme Court finds that the entire ACA is unconstitutional, it could have serious effects on access to care, removing many essential patient protections that cancer patients and survivors depend on. The Cancer Support Community is ready to continue our work to assist people impacted by cancer no matter what happens to the ACA.

The ACA has provided health insurance coverage to millions of Americans through the establishment of individual marketplaces and the expansion of Medicaid. It also has protected Americans with pre-existing conditions and allowed young adults to stay on their parent's insurance until the age of 26. Read on to learn about the impact the law has had on the cancer community as well as the current threat to the ACA.

The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance coverage for 2020 is here! Now 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.

Approximately 43 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare Part D - a voluntary outpatient benefit provided through private health insurance plans approved by the federal government. These plans assist seniors in affording their prescription medications. However, for people with complex and serious health conditions who depend on high-cost drugs, affording medications under Medicare Part D is becoming more and more difficult. Read our break-down of the different payment phases in Medicare Part D and an explanation of why imposing a cap (limit) on the amount beneficiaries pay out-of-pocket each year for prescription drugs is more important than ever.

Medicare Part D is a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit to assist people in affording their prescription medications. Part D benefits are provided through private health insurance plans and approved by the federal government. Participants in Part D are able to choose between supplementing their traditional Medicare with a stand-alone prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan that is part of and includes other aspects of Medicare. In November, 2018 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule for Part D that would have changed the special coverage protections for medications included in the six protected classes.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have recently released a National Coverage Analysis memo to decide how CMS will provide coverage for this innovative treatment. They have proposed coverage alongside a concept known as “evidence development.”

In November, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule that would allow for several changes to the protected classes policy in Medicare Part D. The Cancer Support Community is concerned that if these changes are allowed, patients may face barriers to the cancer treatments that are right for them

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.

A new type of policy has been introduced that has the potential to put cancer patients at serious financial risk. You may not have heard of copay accumulators or accumulator adjustment programs before, so this blog will provide an overview of these policies to help prepare you in case you might be at risk of facing this barrier to affordable cancer care.