Komen Advocacy Insider - July 2019

July 2019 Updates   Federal Public Policy & Advocacy Updates Legislation It’s been 6 months since the 116th Congress took office, and through our relentless advocacy and grassroots activity, our voices are being heard and driving change. There are many pieces of critical legislation that have been introduced, but we need your help to ensure your elected officials are putting breast cancer patients first. Read on for more information on the legislation that Komen is working on at the Federal level, and most importantly add your voice to our fight through one of the campaigns on our action center! Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act - H.R.2428 Millions of women across the country have access to free screening mammography, thanks to its inclusion as a required essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, if the results of that screening mammogram suggest the need for a follow-up diagnostic exam, or if there has been recent history of the disease, people may be faced with hundreds to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs — all before ever getting to treatment. The Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act will eliminate insurance barriers to diagnostic imaging by preventing insurers from imposing cost-sharing practices for these medically necessary exams. Take action! Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act - H.R.2689/S.1438 The Breast Cancer Research Stamp is set to expire at the end of this year, and we need your help to ensure that this program remains available. Since it was first introduced in 1998, the stamp has generated more than $89 million for critical breast cancer research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DOD). This program allows individuals to choose whether they want to make a contribution to breast cancer research by purchasing the stamp, while also playing an important role in raising awareness. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act will make sure this program continues to be available.  Take action! Appropriations On June 19, the House of Representatives passed a legislative package that included 4 of the 12 individual appropriations bills: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Defense; State-Foreign Operations; and, Energy and Water Development. The legislation included funding for many federal agencies and programs Komen advocates for, including: $41.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $6.4 billion of which was allocated to the National Cancer Institute (NCI); $198.3 million for the Center for Disease Control’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP); and $150 million for the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program (DOD BCRP). Meanwhile, the Senate has been less productive in their appropriations efforts and are running out of time with the fiscal year coming to an end on September 30. The Senate still needs to write, consider, and pass all of their spending bills, and they will meet with members of the House to work out the discrepancies between the House and Senate versions of the bills. Once they come to an agreement, each chamber will vote again on the updated legislation, which then goes to the President’s desk for signature. There is still a lot to be done, but we are getting closer! Keep on eye on your inbox for an opportunity to engage with lawmakers during the appropriations process. State Public Policy & Advocacy Updates Ohio Thanks to the hard work and determination of our Ohio advocates, the Ohio Senate passed an amendment June 20 to expand access to the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project (BCCP), which provides critical breast cancer screening and diagnostic services for low-income, uninsured and underinsured women who do not qualify for Medicaid. The new requirements raise the income eligibility to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), up from 250%. It also allows women as young as 21 to have access to the resources of the program, if they discover a symptom – the previous age cut-off was 25. BCCP is the number one safety-net for low income, underinsured and uninsured women to access mammograms, clinical breast exams and treatment for both breast and cervical cancer. Komen will continue to fight for more awareness of the BCCP’s programs and availability and – more critically – all-inclusive access to the BCCP’s Medicaid support program. Under current legislation, women who are diagnosed cannot access the BCCP’s Medicaid program -- high quality care throughout treatment  – unless their diagnosis came through BCCP screening itself. These barriers to access are particularly devastating for women with metastatic breast cancer, struggling with the financial toxicity of treatment, disability and quality of life issues. Ohio advocates, add your voice to our fight and take action! Louisiana Our advocates in Louisiana have been hard at work all session on two critical pieces of legislation that have now been signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards! HB 370 will expand access to care for women living with metastatic breast cancer by prohibiting step therapy protocols in receiving their doctor prescribed treatment, and HB 347 will help all women in the state receive life-saving diagnostic imaging by eliminating the disparity in cost between diagnostic and screening exams. Thank you to all the people who made this possible! New York The New York State Legislature has passed S.2849/A.2969, legislation  that will ensure all prescriptions breast cancer patients are currently taking will remain at the same formulary level and cost throughout the entire contract period. This will prevent mid-year non-medical switching and put treatment decisions back into the hands of doctors and patients. This is a great step in ensuring that breast cancer patients do not endure additional pain and suffering due to mid-year formulary changes. Texas After years of work in Texas, our advocates were able to increase access to vital diagnostic mammography through HB 170, while also passing newly introduced legislation that will protect metastatic breast cancer patients from step therapy protocols with the passing of HB 1584. We can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in 2021! General Public Policy & Advocacy Updates Advocate Spotlight – Angela Waller Angela Waller is a twelve year triple-negative, breast cancer survivor. Angela is dedicated to educating African-American women about the importance of overall breast health, and wants all women to feel empowered to take control of their health and become advocates. If she could give one piece of advice to someone interested in becoming an advocate it would be, “Your voice and experience are needed. Get the proper training and do it.” In addition to being a passionate advocate, she calls herself a food snob and loves “good” food, which is understandable as she lives in Chicago, Illinois – a great foodie city. We are so glad to have Angela serve on our 2018 – 2019 Komen Advocacy Advisory Taskforce! We’re hiring! We are searching for a Specialist, Federal Policy & Advocacy. The Specialist will assist in the development of strategy and execution of federal public policy and advocacy initiatives related to breast health, breast cancer and public health, working towards achieving Komen’s Bold Goal; ensure thorough and accurate federal legislative and regulatory tracking; assist in building relationships with federal legislators and their staff; monitor the federal budget climate for impacts on breast health programs and research and provides reports; coordinate and provide robust administrative and project management support for advocacy events held in our Nation’s capital. This position will be based in our Washington, D.C. office. Please feel free to share with friends and others that might be interested in applying.

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