On October 5-6 METAvivor held its annual Stage IV Stampede & Summit and Hill Day in Washington D.C. For the first time, the in-person event was paired with a virtual advocacy push where we encouraged advocates around the country to join the effort by emailing their members of congress about key legislation using our new online advocacy tools.
Advocates, both in person and online, pressed for Congress to:
- Waive the 5-month SSDI and 24-month Medicare waiting periods for people with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act – H.R. 2048/S. 3442).
- Ensure patients pay the same out-of-pocket costs for oral cancer medications as for IV treatments(Cancer Drug Parity Act – H.R.4101/ S. 5004).
- Strengthen metastatic breast cancer data and surveillance by funding the nation’s two cancer registry programs.
- Support MBC research by funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program.
We are grateful for everyone who took time to help educate Members of Congress about MBC, the challenges patients and caregivers face, and policy changes that would make a real difference in their lives. We look forward to building on this energy with Groundswell, our upcoming virtual hill day, in the Spring 2027.
In the meantime, there is still work to be done this fall! Look out for our November and December updates on our key legislative issues and research funding as Congress works to finalize the fiscal year 2027 budget before the current Congressional session draws to a close at the end of the year.
Next, we urge all of you to MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE!
Election day is November 3. This is your chance to have a say in who will represent you in the next Congress. The Senators and Representatives who win this November will make choices about federal research funding and health care access cost and delivery in 2027 and beyond.
You can use the Voting Center link on METAvivor’s NEW Action Page to get early voting details, find your polling place, and learn about the candidates running in your district. Just enter your zip code in the Election Center, follow the prompts, and you will get the information you need to have your say in this election!
Sincerely,
Your METAvivor Advocacy Team