News & Alerts

Call to Action Online – May 19, 2021

May 19, 2021

2021 Summit Virtual Lobby Day Recap

After four days of summit programming and lobby day prep, on Tuesday, May 18, NBCC held a virtual lobby day, where our advocates lobbied Members of Congress and met with staff, on important NBCC legislative and public policy priorities. In total, over 150 meetings took place, and more meetings are scheduled in the coming weeks. One major priority that advocates spoke on was urging their Members of Congress to cosponsor the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (S. 1312/H.R. 3183), a bill that NBCC brought to Congress in the 115th Congress and that now has bipartisan support across the country due to our work.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (S.1312/H.R. 3183) Introduced in House and Senate

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (MBCACA) was introduced in the House on Thursday, May 13, 2021. This legislation was introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Rep. John Katko (R-NY-24) and had 37 original cosponsors at the time of introduction. The MBCACA was introduced in the Senate in late April, with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) leading the bipartisan bill. S. 1312 was introduced with 8 original cosponsors.

This bill would waive the five-month waiting period for SSDI and twenty-four months for Medicare before the benefits take effect under current law. This legislation provides eligible individuals with metastatic breast cancer immediate access to those benefits.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act is a top legislative priority for NBCC because there are too many women and men in this country who struggle to pay for their treatment and support their families while dealing with metastatic breast cancer. You can help NBCC by taking action in our Action Center, where you can urge your Member of Congress to cosponsor this legislation with just a few clicks.

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NBCC increases federal funding for breast cancer research, monitors how research funds are spent, expands access to quality health care, and ensures that trained advocates influence all decisions affecting breast cancer. Join NBCC and thousands of others to keep breast cancer a priority for Congressional and state policymakers. Join our efforts today.