News & Alerts

Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act Grassroots Action Items

April 9, 2020

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One of NBCC’s highest legislative priorities this year is to enact legislation to waive the 24 month waiting period for Medicare eligibility and the 5 month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for individuals with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

House

On April 9, Representatives Peter King (R-NY) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced H.R. 2178, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act. 

Thanks to NBCC’s outstanding advocates, the bill currently has 137 cosponsors.

We continue to build bipartisan support for this legislation. The list of current cosponsors is here. We have developed a target list of Representatives who cosponsored the bill last year or who expressed interest in cosponsoring the bill this year. Please review the target list and reach out to your Representatives to ask them to cosponsor today. If your Representatives are not on the target list, but have not signed on please also reach out to them.

Please have your Representatives contact Deena Tauster in Representative King’s office at deena.tauster@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-7896 or Elizabeth Brown in Representative Castor’s office at elizabeth.brown@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-3376 to cosponsor this legislation. Also, please let NBCC know if your Representative has agreed to sign on so we can keep a running record as well.

Senate

On May 8, Senators Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced S. 1374, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act.

Currently there are 16 cosponsors on the bill.

Please have your Senators contact Emily Crow in Senator McSally’s office at Emily_Crow@mcsally.senate.gov or Elizabeth Darnall in Senator Murphy’s office at Elizabeth_Darnall@murphy.senate.gov to cosponsor this legislation. Also, please let NBCC know if your Senator has agreed to sign on so we can keep a running record as well.

The following are actions you can take to support the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act:

ACTIVITIES FOR MEMBERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT COSPONSORS OF H.R. 2178 or S. 1374

• Send an op-ed piece or letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
• Send an email or call the health care policy staff person in your Member’s DC office and ask them to review the bill and recommend cosponsorship.
• Use social media to ask your Member to cosponsor H.R. 2178 or S. 1374 (this can be combined with a thank you for members of Congress in the same delegation who have already signed on to the bill).

ACTIVITIES FOR MEMBERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY COSPONSORS OF H.R. 2178 or S. 1374

• Post on social media thanking the Member for cosponsoring H.R. 2178 or S. 1374 and reiterate why it is important for individuals with metastatic breast cancer.
• Ask for a commitment that the Member will work to get the bill enacted.

If you have any questions or would like to let us know that your Member has agreed to co-sponsor, please contact Jennifer Berzok at jkberzok@stopbreastcancer.org.

As always, thank you for your important advocacy on behalf of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and our mission to end breast cancer!