On March 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it would not move forward with proposed policy changes that would allow health plans to reduce their coverage of drugs in Medicare’s 6 “protected classes.” The Cancer Support Community applauds this decision, as this policy change would have had negative consequences for patients, including those impacted by cancer.

The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance coverage for 2021 through the federal marketplace 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.

Clinical trials are a promising avenue for expanding treatment options and extending survival for people with cancer. However, out-of-pocket costs associated with trial participation and gaps in insurance coverage create barriers for many cancer patients. The CLINICAL TREATMENT Act guarantees coverage of the routine care costs of clinical trial participation for Medicaid enrollees with life-threatening conditions, like cancer.

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.

UPDATE: On June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in California v. Texas, a legal challenge that sought to strike down the law. This means that the ACA will remain law, and people will continue to have access to critical patient protections and health care services. Read on to learn more.

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.”