March 2020 Advocacy Update- Komen Center for Public Policy

March 2020 Updates  Support the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act The most recent recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts that makes recommendations for clinical preventive services, posted in 2016, stated that the decision to start screening mammography before the age of 50 should be an individual one and take patient context into account, while women ages 50-74 should only have screening mammograms every other year. Because many insurance companies use USPSTF guidelines as the basis for coverage, 22 million women between the ages of 40 and 49 could be at risk for losing coverage for screening mammograms and those over 50 would only have coverage every two years. While rates of breast cancer are low in women under 50, the risk for breast cancer increases starting at age 40. Additionally, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 40-49 in the United States. We must ensure affordable access to life-saving screening needed to find breast cancer as early as possible. Take action now and ask your lawmakers to support the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings (PALS) Act! Patients’ Access Webinar – Metastatic Breast Cancer Step Therapy Please join us on Tuesday, March 24th at 12pm CDT/1pm EDT for our next webinar in Susan G. Komen's Patients' Access webinar series, which will focus on the use of step therapy protocols for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Step therapy, also referred to as “fail first”, requires a patient to use a health plan preferred drug first and have that therapy fail before they can receive coverage for the originally prescribed drug. Step therapy is especially harmful to MBC patients, who have often already been through multiple treatments and whose disease will likely progress while on the health plan-preferred drug. Ensuring MBC patients have the treatment originally prescribed for them can be a matter of life or death. This webinar will provide an overview of step therapy, how providers can play a role in fighting these protocols and what Komen is doing to advocate for public policies to limit the use of step therapy for metastatic cancer patients. Register today! Call for Stories Our lawmakers are overwhelmed with numbers and studies. What they need most are stories about people - real people. Like you. Lawmakers and regulators must see the impact policies can have on breast cancer patients. Help us shape policy that makes sense for those impacted by breast cancer. With your help, we can influence them to take action to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care for all patient populations. You have a story to tell – share it with us.  Federal Policy & Advocacy Updates Appropriations The White House released their proposed fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021) budget in early February that proposed a massive cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which would result in significant reductions to medical research, screening and prevention programs, as well as workforce training and other health programs. While many lawmakers on the Senate Labor – Health and Human Services Committee have said the proposed HHS budget cuts would be rejected, it is too early to determine what changes could be seen in negotiations. Komen will continue to advocate for increased funding for critical, life-saving cancer research, prevention, screening and treatment programs. Learn more about Komen’s appropriations requests and join us in taking action. Affordable Care Act Update The U.S. Supreme Court announced this week that it will hear challenges on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Texas v. U.S. and California v. Texas. It is likely oral arguments will not be heard until the fall, with a decision coming as late as June 2021. Until a decision is made, the majority of the law remains intact. You can learn more about the status of the Affordable Care Act in one of our Patients’ Access webinars  held in December 2019. Until a decision is made, it is imperative that we continue to advocate for the patient protections included in the ACA and additional protections that are still needed. Add your name to our petition for the Breast Cancer Bill of Rights to sign up for action alerts and take a stand. State Policy & Advocacy Updates 2020 State Legislative Update Building off the tremendous successes Komen had in 2019, the Public Policy & Advocacy Team has been hard at work to ensure 2020 is even more successful!  With most state legislative sessions under way, the team has been working with advocates across the country to engage and educate legislators on Komen’s Advocacy Priorities. We are so pleased to announce that Komen has led the introduction of state legislation to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic imaging, as well as legislation prohibiting insurers from requiring step therapy protocols for metastatic cancer in several key states. Please stay tuned for details on these efforts and our advocacy work across the country.  Susan G. Komen Puget Sound Highlighted Nationally Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a justification document to Congress during the budget process. This document serves as the CDC’s budget request and provides details on specific programs. In the FY2021 justification, Komen’s Puget Sound Affiliate was mentioned in the National Program of Cancer Registries section. The highlight details how the Affiliate used the Washington State Cancer Registry data in their Community Profile, and how the information impacted programming and granting for the Affiliate. Please join us in congratulating Puget Sound on this exciting effort! General Policy & Advocacy Updates 2020 Speak Truth to Power Conference – Advocating to Achieve Health Equity Komen will not achieve its Bold Goal without engaging the African-American community, where the impact of breast cancer is the most devastating. African-American women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than their white counterparts. Through the Speak Truth to Power: Advocating to Achieve Health Equity Conference, Komen will convene community health leaders and advocates to learn about the role public policy and advocacy plays in reducing breast cancer disparities and the importance of engaging in these efforts. The 2020 Komen Speak Truth to Power Conference and Advocacy Summit will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott (1700 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202) beginning the evening of June 7, 2020. Following the conference, attendees will participate in the Komen Advocacy Summit. Application are due TODAY, March 5! Click here to learn more and apply. We're Hiring! We are searching for a Regional Manager, State Policy and Advocacy (Northeast Region). This position will serve as a subject matter expert, supporting and promoting Susan G. Komen’s public policy and advocacy initiatives related to breast cancer and public health policy in the Northeast Region. The Northeast Region includes Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Please feel free to share with others that might be interested in applying.

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