Legislative Update from the Cancer Policy Institute

Dear Catherine,

Patient advocacy groups are coming together to organize a day of action on Wednesday, April 19^th. On this day, we are asking you to contact your Members of Congress to ask them to reject a repeal of the Affordable Care Act until there is a sufficient plan to replace the law with a bill that protects the needs of patients.

Congress will be in recess until April 24^th and will be in their respective home towns. Most Members of Congress will be hosting town hall meetings to connect with their constituents. This is a great opportunity to let your members know that a strong health care system is essential and that repealing the Affordable Care Act without a strong replacement will harm people who live with or have a history of cancer.

Attend a Town Hall

Click HERE to find a Town Hall event in your state and voice your opinion that your patient rights are essential in keeping affordable health care! This is your time to tell your members of Congress not to repeal the patient protections in the Affordable Care Act.

To protect people who live with or have a history of cancer, any proposed replacement to the Affordable Care Act needs to:

• Ensure that patients can access timely health care services.
• Ensure that patients can afford to purchase and maintain their health insurance coverage and prescription medications.
• Provide patient protections. Do not penalize individuals with preexisting conditions and do not allow annual or lifetime benefit caps.
• Provide comprehensive and meaningful coverage (including essential health benefits)
• Create a viable insurance market that does not penalize patients
• Maintain strong safety net programs (including Medicaid)
• Provide equitable coverage (regardless of location and income levels)

Read more about the Cancer Support Community's Health Care Principles for Individuals Impacted by Cancer, here.

Call Your Member of Congress
You can also call your Members of Congress while they are on recess by using this call-in number and an operator can easily direct you to the right office: English: 866-426-2631; Spanish: 877-736-7831.

Engage on Social Media
And don't forget that social media is also an important tool advocates can utilize to communicate with elected officials. Use #ProtectOurCare on Twitter and Facebook to keep the conversation going on the importance of health care reform.

While attending a town hall, emailing, calling or tweeting, remember to ask these key questions to your members of Congress:

1. Will you give up on repealing and replacing the law with anything that results in people losing their health coverage and increasing costs?
2. Do you agree with the latest repeal efforts that include weakening protections for people with pre-existing conditions by allowing insurance companies to charge them as much as they want?
3. Do you think the Trump Administration should be working to strengthen the individual market?

I hope you will join us in our day of action and speak up for keeping patients protections a priority in health care reform.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Franklin

Senior Director, Policy & Advocacy

Cancer Support Community