METAVIVOR PLANS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN AROUND METASTATIC BREAST CANCER ACCESS TO CARE ACT AND CANCER DRUG PARITY ACT
This summer, Metavivor will launch an educational campaign around two pending bills in Congress, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act and the Cancer Drug Parity Act.
Under current law, Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) patients must wait for five months after applying for Social Security Disability (SSD) until benefits can be paid. In addition, once SSD benefits begin, MBC patients must wait an additional 24 months until they can receive Medicare benefits as a secondary insurance. Out of pocket expenses for the treatment of MBC are often in the tens of thousands of dollars. Because the average longevity after a diagnosis of MBC is 33 months, these waiting periods effectively deny financial assistance to MBC patients. Families may be unable to pay for treatment or will go deeply into debt to pay these costs. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act will eliminate these waiting periods and bring much needed financial relief to MBC patients and their families.
Under existing law, insurance companies can manipulate out of pocket expenses to charge different amounts for the same or similar treatments in different locations, e.g. home, hospital, or doctor’s offices. These charges can amount to tens of thousands of dollars. The Cancer Drug Parity Act will eliminate these practices by insurance companies.
Metavivor will be using its network of State Captains and advocates across the country to educate legislators and the general public about these problems and their proposed legislative remedies. This education program is expected to begin in June in conjunction with committee hearings expected on this legislation, and to continue throughout the summer.
If you would like to be part of advocacy efforts for stage IV metastatic breast cancer please contact [email protected].
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