Advocacy

FORCE advocates for families facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in areas such as access to care, research funding, insurance, and privacy.

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Advocacy

Newsflash

2/25/2020 - We joined other coalition members in a letter to Congressional leadership urging reauthorization of the PALS and EARLY Acts to ensure continued access to breast cancer education, awareness and screening.

12/17/2019 - A FORCE staff member made comments at the FDA ODAC hearing in favor of olaparib as maintenance therapy for BRCA+ metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.

12/9/2019 - FORCE and 100+ orgs advocated that legislators complete FY20 Defense Appropriations Act negotiations and quickly pass/enact the bill to ensure continued funding of the DoD CDMRP.

12/4/2019 - We wrote South Carolina Senate medical affairs committee members asking that they support genetic counselor licensure in the state.

12/4/2019 - We joined the MedEx Coalition in asking elected officials to co-sponsor the Medical Expense Savings Act, legislation making the 7.5% threshold for medical expense deductions permanent.

Current Issues

Act Now to Support Broader Access to Genetic Counseling

Genetic counselors provide crucial information and expertise to anyone impacted by hereditary cancer. But, did you know that these experts are not approved Medicare practitioners? The “Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act” (H.R. 3235) aims to remedy this issue. Join FORCE and the National Society of Genetic Counselors to support coverage of genetic counseling for Medicare beneficiaries and expanded access to genetic counseling services for all Americans.

Medicare Finalizes Genetic Testing Policy

January 27, 2020 - Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its final National Coverage Determination (NCD) on next-generation sequencing (NGS) for Medicare beneficiaries. The policy paves the way for national coverage of tumor/biomarker testing and multigene panel testing for hereditary cancer under specific circumstances. It also allows for local Medicare regions to establish policies for NGS-based testing for hereditary cancer mutations.

FORCE Weighs in on Breast Implant Safety and Informed Consent

December 23, 2019 - Today, FORCE submitted comments on FDA's proposed new labeling and patient communication guidelines for breast implants. These updates follow a device safety hearing and recall of certain textured breast implants earlier this year. If enacted, the guidance will add a boxed warning, patient decision checklist, revised rupture screening recommendations, and more.

New BRCA Genetic Screening Recommendations Miss the Mark

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations guide the use of many health screenings and determine which preventive services are available at no cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act. In September 2019, the Task Force published new guidelines that slightly expand the population eligible for BRCA counseling and testing. While this change is positive, the guidelines fail to meet the needs of many Americans who may be at increased risk of cancer due to hereditary factors.

Fraud Alert! Genetic test scams are a growing problem.

September 27, 2019 - Federal law enforcement agencies recently charged 35 individuals for fraudulent genetic testing and Medicare billing practices. Scams are a growing problem. If you are considering DNA/genetic testing, there is important information that you should know first.

See this recent fraud alert issued by the Office of Inspector General and learn how you can protect yourself from fraud, misinformation, and harm.

Lawsuit Targets Wellness Program Penalties and Invasion of Privacy

July 16, 2019 - A lawsuit filed against Yale claims that its wellness program imposes excessive penalties for nonparticipation or noncompliance, and infringes on employees' genetic/ health privacy. Employers are increasingly implementing wellness programs to counter rising healthcare costs, shifting more of the expense to workers despite limited evidence that these programs are effective. The vendors that administer these programs are not bound by laws that protect privacy and individual rights.

New Legislative Effort Could Wipe Out Laws Preventing Gene Patents

June 2019 - Members of Congress recently released draft legislation to amend Sec. 101 of the Patent Act which permits issuing patents on new and useful processes, machines, etc. As currently written, this legislation is extremely concerning as it would establish a completely new patent eligibility framework and, as a result, would overturn significant Supreme Court decisions that have fostered affordable access to genetic tests including the AMP v. Myriad decision, which said that naturally occurring DNA sequences cannot be patented.

Mammograms for Women Age 40-49 Preserved Until 2020

In 2016, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new breast cancer screening guidelines recommending that mammograms for “average risk” women begin at age 50. If implemented, women ages 40-49 may lose access to no-cost annual screening mammograms. FORCE supported passage of the PALS Act to preserve mammograms with no out-of-pocket costs for women starting at age 40 and continues to be a leader in efforts to preserve 100% insurance coverage of this lifesaving cancer screening.

High-Risk Individuals Often Struggle to Get Insurance Coverage of Health Services

The ACA guarantees coverage of certain cancer screenings at no cost to the patient. This has allowed many Americans to access care that they might not otherwise be able to afford. As some impacted by hereditary cancer have learned, however, insurers are not required to cover screenings beyond those mandated in the ACA. Members of our community often struggle to get coverage for earlier, more intensive screenings and risk-reducing surgeries. This is why FORCE created sample appeal letters for a variety of services.

FORCE Supports Chemotherapy Parity Initiatives

Oral chemotherapy is becoming standard-of-care for many cancers and accounts for about a third of oncology drugs in development. Importantly, many oral anti-cancer medications do not have IV or injected alternatives. PARP inhibitors, especially effective in treating BRCA-related cancers, are just one example. These medications must be as affordable as their IV counterparts. FORCE is supporting the Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Ac t, federal legislation which strives to create equal insurance coverage of cancer treatments, regardless of how they are administered.

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Advocacy > Current Issues

Current Issues

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