March 29, 2019
New campaign educates younger adults about colorectal cancer prevention and early detection
It’s a common misconception that colorectal cancer affects only older people—but today, more adults under the recommended screening age are being diagnosed than ever before.
Because younger people may be unaware of risk factors and symptoms of colorectal cancer, they are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, when the cancer is more advanced and harder to treat. The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s® new campaign, “Too Young for This Sh*t,” has a cheeky name, but a serious message: building awareness of colorectal cancer in younger adults can save lives.
The campaign educates adults under 50 about the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer and how they can better understand and reduce their risk. To learn more and help spread the word, visit tooyoungforthis.org.
Prevent Cancer Foundation® joins partner organizations in supporting Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act
On March 25, the Prevent Cancer Foundation® joined 34 other patient advocacy organizations in submitting a letter to the House of Representatives in support of the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act (H.R. 1570). A companion bill in the Senate (S. 668) has also been introduced, which the Foundation also supports.
This important legislation would eliminate the coinsurance requirement for Medicare patients who have polyps or abnormal tissue removed during a colonoscopy. Currently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) covers colonoscopies in full, but requires patients to pay a portion of the bill (ranging from $100-300) if they have polyps or tissue removed—which is impossible to know beforehand. This requirement is detrimental to seniors, many of whom live on a fixed income.
Want to help support this important legislation? Encourage your Senator and Representative to sign on as a co-sponsor—take action today!
Medicaid work requirements blocked in Arkansas and Kentucky
On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected and reversed Kentucky’s and Arkansas’ requests to add work requirements for Medicaid enrollees, voiding the administration’s previous approval of these requests. Arkansas’ work requirements have already led to more than 18,000 people losing their health care coverage in less than a year.
Judge James E. Boasberg of the Federal District Court said the previous approvals for these requests failed to address how the work requirements would align with Medicaid’s objective of providing coverage to vulnerable Americans. He said it’s not impossible for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to justify its approvals, but it hasn’t done so yet.
More than 60 percent of Medicaid enrollees who are able to work are already working. These requirements create additional barriers for compliance and put thousands of people at risk of losing health care coverage. Work requirements also deter families from signing up for coverage in the first place, meaning some may not have access to the critical preventive services and cancer screenings they need.
Read this article to learn more.
New changes to mammograms could give at-risk women more information
On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new steps to improve mammography quality standards. Among the changes is a proposed rule requiring mammography facilities to give women with dense breasts information about their cancer risk and the impact of breast density on the accuracy of their mammograms. Mammograms are not as accurate for women with dense breast tissue because dense tissue and cancer both appear white on a mammogram—this can obscure signs of breast cancer and lower the image sensitivity.
These mammography standards, part of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA), have not been updated in more than 20 years. FDA’s proposed changes will help modernize mammography based on the latest science and provide patients with the information they need to make important decisions about their breast health.
More than 50 percent of American women over 40 have dense breasts—so this new guidance can help save many lives. The Prevent Cancer Foundation® supports regulation to help improve screening standards and patient education on cancer risk and prevention.
Read more about the proposed rule and submit your comments.
Less than a month until the 2019 Advocacy Workshop!
We’re less than a month away from the 2019 Prevent Cancer Advocacy Workshop! Don’t miss your chance to hear from experts in cancer and other diseases as we tackle important policy issues. The agenda includes:
- A keynote presentation from Sharon Y. Eubanks, tobacco control expert and lead counsel in United States v. Phillip Morris USA et al.
- A panel on access barriers in care delivery, including step therapy in Medicare Part B, copay accumulators, state Medicaid waivers and more
- A facilitated conversation on the economics of prevention, with insight into the factors contributing to the rising cost of health care and how prevention can offset them
