Letter: Bill supports biomarker testing
This letter originally ran in the Lincoln Journal Star.
News
1-11-10 This Week in Health Care Reform
January 22, 2010
ON CAPITOL HILL
What a difference a week makes. As you've undoubtedly been following in the news, health care reform efforts are in a very different place than they were when we communicated with you last Friday. The special election in Massachusetts means that there are no longer 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to end a filibuster against health care reform legislation. This effectively means that negotiations between the House and Senate leadership to merge their two bills into one have been put on hold for the time being. The focus on Capitol Hill and in the Administration is now on finding a new approach to moving forward, given these new circumstances.
An earlier strategy to have the House quickly take up and pass the Senate bill, thus obviating any need for another Senate vote, no longer appears viable following Speaker Pelosi’s announcement yesterday that she lacks the 218 votes needed to pass the Senate bill. That assessment could change, however, in the days or weeks ahead as the dust settles from Tuesday’s election.
President Obama opened the door Wednesday to the possibility of Congress passing a smaller bill. That approach could prove challenging on a substantive level because of the complex nature of the health system. For example, Congress could pass a bill guaranteeing the issuance of insurance, eliminating consideration of preexisting conditions and banning annual and lifetime limits. But if those changes are not combined with coverage mandates and subsidies, insurance policies could then be too expensive for people to buy. We will, as always, be monitoring these developments and evaluating any new proposals to determine whether they line up with our health care reform priorities.
In the coming days and weeks, it’s possible that health care reform could take a back seat on Capitol Hill to other issues, such as the economy and jobs. In the meantime, please know that our objectives for health reform have not changed. ACS CAN and our partners are continuing to urge the White House and Congressional leaders to bring comprehensive reform to the American people as promised. In fact, ACS CAN and our partner organizations, AARP, Consumers Union, Families USA and SEIU, sent a letter yesterday to Congress with the message to move forward on comprehensive reform. The letter , which was addressed to Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid but went to every Congressional office, focused on the substantive improvements health care reform would make in people's lives.
Congress cannot quit the fight, because as you know, cancer patients need action now, not later, on health care reform. We will continue to keep you informed of this changing legislative environment and our next steps.
STATE OF THE UNION THIS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27
Next Wednesday, January 27, ACS CAN will hold our fifth annual State of the Union Watch Party. These annual events engage our volunteers in a national activity, and ask them to focus on our federal issues through the “cancer lens". Unlike in the past, when we emphasized hosting house parties, this year we are giving volunteers the option to participate in a "virtual" watch party, viewing and commenting on the moderated event as it streams live from our Web site ( www.fightcancer.org/sotu2010 ). Participants will be able to submit comments and questions for posting in real time, and easily link to other fightcancer.org pages for volunteer opportunities, etc.
We will be reaching out to a broad range of identified activists to join us, including current ACS CAN members and the tens of thousands of new contacts who have taken action on behalf of cancer patients during our health care campaign throughout 2009. We will also promote our event to Colleges Against Cancer, via the ACS CAN Facebook page, and on the Relay for Life website.
Advocacy and media advocacy staff should have already received media materials, including a press advisory and a template letter to the editor, from Pete Fredriksen earlier this week, but please feel free to contact him at [email protected] with any further questions about State of the Union activities.
As always, thanks for all you do every day for those touched by cancer.
Molly