ASCO Conducts Unprecedented Cancer-Related Advocacy with New Congress

May 13, 2015

SGR repeal, NIH funding, accelerating cures take center stage during “Hill Days” with lawmakers

As the 114th U.S. Congress commenced, ASCO organized a full-out effort on Capitol Hill to help shape the fresh legislative agenda and to raise awareness on cancer policy issues among newly elected lawmakers and Congressional Members on key committees.

From January through May 2015, nearly 60 ASCO volunteers—including members of the State Affiliate Council and the Government Relations and Health Disparities Committees, participants in ASCO’s Leadership Development Program, and other representatives from ASCO leadership—brought attention to key cancer-related policy priorities, including the need to repeal and replace the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula with a more rational reimbursement system, increased funding for the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), the need to deliver cures to patients faster, and issues related to health care disparities and Medicaid reform. In-person meetings were complemented by a virtual campaign through ASCO’s ACT Network (a grassroots engagement tool), in which Society advocates across the United States emailed their elected officials about these same issues.

In addition to more than 150 constituent meetings during five separate Hill Days, ASCO members met with legislators and staff from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), both chambers’ Appropriations Committees, and the Congressional Tri-Caucus (Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus).

Particularly pressing during ASCO’s advocacy was the impending 21% Medicare reimbursement cut, effective March 31 under the SGR formula. Visits, letters, and calls by ASCO members added the oncology voice to the momentum to repeal SGR. Those calls were heeded when Congress finally repealed the flawed formula with overwhelming votes in both the House and Senate—effectively ending a 13-year roller coaster ride of 17 physician payment patches.

ASCO volunteers also stressed the urgent need to increase federal funding for cancer research, calling for an increase of at least $32 billion in NIH funding, of which $5.32 billion would go to NCI. ASCO members sent a strong message to Congress: Get serious about supporting biomedical research. With NIH having suffered a 23% funding loss when adjusted for inflation, the pace of discovery will significantly slow in a field poised to make significant advancements for patients when adequately supported.

In addition to shedding light on issues related to disparities in cancer care, ASCO advocacy efforts also addressed multiple proposals to accelerate the pace of cures in the United States, including President Barack Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s 21st Century Cures initiative, and the Senate HELP Committee’s Innovation for Healthier Americans initiative.

Visit ASCO in Action for more on these issues and the latest cancer policy news.


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