December 2017 State Update

ACS CAN Massachusetts will be focusing on a variety of issues in the 2017-2018 Legislative Session.  Below is an update on those that have had movement in the past month:

While the legislature is still in session in December, we don’t expect movement on any of our issues until after New Years.  However, ACS CAN will continue to monitor legislative activity and take action as needed.

Tobacco Bill Status

Comprehensive tobacco control legislation which would increase the age of sale for tobacco products from 18 to 21, prohibit sales of tobacco in pharmacies, add electronic-cigarettes to the state’s smoke-free workplace law, require child-proof caps on liquid nicotine containers and prohibit tobacco use on public and private school property.

We are still waiting for the committee to release the bill, and it’s looking like it will be early in the new year, but no later than Feb 7^th.

Action items:

We are looking for photos of students or young professionals that want to work with us on this campaign.  They would be featured on our social media page and delivered to lawmakers with their reason why they want this law to pass. 

We are also still looking for stories of past or current smokers that started using tobacco prior to age 21 to share with our lawmakers, as well as doctors or organizations to write a letter in support of the legislation.  Please connect with Melissa via email at [email protected] or via phone at 508-270-4683 if you have a story to share or are interested in writing a letter.

More on tobacco:

The City of Springfield, MA has taken the first of two steps toward increasing the age of sale of tobacco to 21.  The city’s Public Health Council voted this week to move to 21.  With this vote, the City Council now needs to vote to approve it since enforcement would involve fining.  In Springfield, all money-related issues must go through the City Council.  Currently, 168 communities in Massachusetts have increased the age of sale to 21 representing over 2/3^rd of the population of the state.  Approval of Tobacco 21 by the Springfield City Council would mean that 15 of the 20 largest cities in the Commonwealth by population will have a tobacco sale age of 21, including the largest five (Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell and Cambridge).

The Opioid Discussion:

Governor Baker released an opioid bill last month, making this the fourth legislative session in a row that there will be a debate on a major opioid bill.  The Governor’s bill deals mostly with treatment issues.  Of note to ACS CAN, the bill would create a special commission to look at the effectiveness of the seven-day maximum for initial opioid prescriptions and make recommendations for continued protocols.  During debate on an opioid bill two years ago, we were successful in getting an exemption for people suffering from pain due to a cancer diagnosis so we will monitor this to ensure that is not changed.

MA Healthcare Reform:

After two days of debate, the Massachusetts Senate passed a health care reform bill in early November.  During debate, Senators adopted an ACS CAN priority amendment to make the four-year-old Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund permanent and fund it with an increase in the tax on flavored cigars.  These kid-friendly products would be taxed at 210% of wholesale, equalizing them with the current tax rate on OTP.  Another ACS CAN amendment to include our formulary transparency language in the bill was not adopted.

• The Senate bill is very comprehensive and includes the following provisions:
  • To help struggling community hospitals, sets a floor on reimbursements they receive from insurers.
  • Sets a benchmark for annual growth in hospital spending, likely to be 2.7%.
  • Requires drug companies to submit price and other data to the state Health Policy Commission and requires the companies to testify at the Commission’s annual “cost trend” hearings.
  • Sets a benchmark for hospitals to reduce readmissions 20% by 2020 with the potential for penalties for hospitals missing the target.
  • Requires a study to measure current health spending against the estimated costs of providing health care to all residents through a single-payer system.  If the single-payer projections prove to be less costly, the Health Policy Commission would need to submit "a proposed single payer health care implementation plan" to the Legislature for potential action.

With the Senate having completed their health reform bill, focus now moves to the House.  We have already begun meetings with key House members as we look to include our formulary transparency language in their version of the bill.  The House is expected to take up the bill early in the new year.

HOW DOES MASSACHUSETTS MEASURE UP? On August 3^rd, ACS CAN released its 15^th annual How Do You Measure Up? A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality. The report examines how states are progressing on critical cancer issues, and outlines what states can do to reduce the cancer burden. The full report is now available at www.fightcancer.org/measure.  Massachusetts measured up to policy recommendations in six of the nine issue areas ranked, second only to California with seven of nine.  No other state measured up in more than five issue areas.

Join ACS CAN

A minimum gift of $10 to ACS CAN will make you a member for one year. For ACS CAN membership benefits, go to https://www.fightcancer.org/content/acs-can-membership-benefits. To become a member, go to www.fightcancer.org/donate. For more information about ACS CAN Massachusetts, visit http://fightcancer.org/ma or contact Melissa Stacy, Grassroots Manager, at [email protected] or 508-270-4683.

The Staggering Costs of Cancer

www.fightcancer.org/policy-resources/costs-cancer

The first ACS CAN report to examine the costs of treating cancer underscores the need for policies that ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable health coverage that includes recommended cancer prevention and treatment.

Upcoming Events:

• December 21: ACS CAN Massachusetts will host its monthly advocacy call on Thursday, December 21 at 6:30pm.  Join to hear the latest updates regarding our priority issues at the state and federal levels, as well as ways you can take action over the next month.  The call-in number is 1-917-727-7985 and the conference ID is 15590430.  Anyone is welcome to attend!

• March 28, 2018 - Massachusetts Lobby Day: Join fellow advocates, cancer survivors and caregivers to meet with your Massachusetts lawmakers and ask them to support legislation that will help eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

Check in starts at 10am, our program starts at 11am, and visits with lawmakers start at 12:30pm and end at 2:30pm.  Lunch will be provided.

ACS CAN Staff will schedule appointments with your lawmakers as you register based on your home address.  We will also train you and answer any questions you may have in advance.

If you have any questions, please email Melissa at [email protected] or call 508-270-4683.  A registration link will be coming soon.

• June 18, 2018: Now in its 11th year, the annual ACS CAN New England Research Breakfast brings together more than 250 leaders from business, life sciences, and healthcare who come together to support ACS CAN’s efforts to fight cancer on Beacon Hill, in Washington D.C., and in state capitals across the country.  For more information on the event, please contact Lexa at [email protected].