Happy Holidays to all our amazing breast cancer advocates! We hope you enjoy a restful and healthy season. As the year draws to a close, we're wrapping up and looking towards 2022.

State Level:

The 2022 General Assembly Session begins on January 13, 2022, and is a long session (60 days). Due to the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, our plans for a State Breast Cancer Advocacy Day during the General Assembly Session are in flux. We want to make sure we keep all of our advocates safe and healthy, so a virtual day of action may be the direction we choose.

However, even if we do not host an in-person state advocacy day, we are excited to announce that a VBCF-led diagnostic breast cancer care bill, sponsored by Delegate Delores McQuinn (D-70th), will be introduced during the 2022 General Assembly session.

This bill is focused on eliminating the high out-of-pocket costs that many patients have to pay for breast cancer diagnostic imaging including diagnostic mammography, ultrasound, and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). These costs can often lead to patients delaying or forgoing additional procedures and therefore impact breast cancer outcomes. If passed, this bill would prohibit health insurance plans from imposing higher cost-sharing requirements (co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles) on breast cancer diagnostic examinations and imaging than they do for breast cancer screening mammograms. Bill details are still being worked out so please stay tuned!

Have you had to pay high out-of-pocket costs for a follow-up mammogram or other diagnostic procedures? We want legislators to hear these experiences and about the impact these added costs can have on breast cancer care. Please contact Kirsta at kirsta@vbcf.org or 804-285-1200 ext. 203.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (H.R. 3183; S. 1312) will continue to be a major focus in the new year. As of December, there are four Virginia legislators who have signed on as co-sponsors of this bill: Rep.Gerald Connolly, (D-11th), Rep. Morgan Griffith, (R-9th), Rep. Elaine Luria (D-2nd), and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd). But, we still need more sponsors to get this bill moving in Congress.

What can you do? Email or call your legislator and tell them to support this bill! Details for taking action are in the pink box below.

In particular, these VA legislators sponsored the bill in the last Congress, but have not signed on yet this time around: Rep. Donald McEachin(D-4th) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-7th). If one of these is your legislator, ask them what's the hold up?! Why are they not co-sponsoring this important bill this time around?

Background: VBCF is working with the National Brest Cancer Coalition (NBCC) to help pass the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act, which would waive the waiting periods for Medicare (up to 24 months) and Social Security Disability benefits (up to 5 months) for those living with metastatic breast cancer. Waiving these waiting periods would allow patients to get the health care they need sooner and help lessen the stress and financial burden they are facing.