I'm happy to share that starting this week, insurers are required under the Affordable Care Act to present every consumer with a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC), a document with simple and easy-to-read information on what their plan covers and how much it costs.
A new edition of the ACS CAN report How Do You Measure Up? shows that the majority of states are not measuring up on legislative solutions to prevent and fight cancer. The report ranks where states stand on these issues that play a critical role in reducing cancer incidence and death. It measures seven specific issues.
To increase awareness of the Prevention Fund's lifesaving impact, ACS CAN released a report last week called Staying Well: Real Stories from the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which features 17 stories of state and community programs that depend on the Prevention Fund for their critical work.
To quote John Seffrin, chief executive of the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN, today will go down as one of the most important days in the history of the fight against cancer in this country.
The law the president is about to sign contains provisions that ACS CAN worked hard to have included on behalf of patients. Collectively, this legislation will help patients access lifesaving medications and devices that treat cancer and its side effects.
I thought Dan's knowledge of advanced directives was pertinent to the broader discussion of palliative care because ultimately, and unfortunately, some cancer patients do not get well. So, I invited him to contribute to this blog. I hope you find his perspective useful.
I want to share with you some important information about a bipartisan bill advancing in the U.S. Senate that ACS CAN has been closely monitoring the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). This is a critical bill for cancer patients and their loved ones.
Earlier this month, as part of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, ACS CAN co-hosted an important briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of research and prevention in eliminating inequities among minority populations in prevalence rates of and access to health care for chronic diseases.
When you think of a friend or loved one who is battling cancer, you probably imagine their chemotherapy being administered intravenously at a local hospital. However, modern advances in technology and pharmaceuticals have produced chemotherapy drugs that can be taken orally, in pill form. To date, the FDA has approved more than 40 oral anti-cancer medications for the treatment of at least 54 different types of cancer.
Imagine that you dropped your car off at a service station for what you thought was a free oil change. You return an hour later to be informed that while the service was underway a small problem was found and repaired (with no input from you), and you now owe $250. How would you take this news? This is the predicament that a number of people face every day due to an oversight in existing Medicare regulations.