House and Senate Leadership were back at the White House today for another day-long negotiation session aimed at reconciling differences between the House-passed and Senate-passed bills.  President Obama is scheduled to met with Democrats this evening at the Democrats’ annual issues conference to talk about health care reform.

Congressional leaders are working to get a final compromise agreed to, and sent to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) by Friday.  CBO will need 10-15 days to analyze the bill and put together a cost estimate.  Members want to see a final cost estimate and analysis before voting on the package.

The letter C3 sent asks Congress to:

• Eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions and waiting periods for all individuals in every health insurance market in order to ensure access to care.
• Completely eliminate annual and lifetime caps on coverage.

Many colorectal cancer patients face a lifetime of cancer treatment.  Caps on insurance result in very difficult decisions about the care they will receive and how they are going to pay for it.

Eliminating pre-existing conditions exclusions is very important for cancer patients.  Pre-existing condition exclusions lock the millions of Americans with at least one chronic illness (nearly one third of the population) into existing plans and employment.

There are a number of additional provisions in both the House-passed and Senate-passed health care reform bills that will affect colorectal cancer patients.  Click here to see a chart outlining and comparing these provisions.

C3 will continue to work with legislators to advocate for improvements to the pending bills that will provide all Americans with the access to care that is critical to preventing, treating and beating colorectal cancer.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with us by leaving comments below.

After 25 straight days of debate, by a vote of 60-39, today the Senate approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In January, the House and Senate will begin the difficult task of reconciling the differences between the bills they have passed.

There are a number of provisions in both the House-passed and Senate-passed health care reform bills that will affect colorectal cancer patients.  Click here to see a chart outlining and comparing these provisions.

The two key differences between the House and Senate bills are the public option and pay-fors.  The House bill would create a government-sponsored insurance plan (i.e., a public option), but the Senate bill is silent on this point.  How to finance the health care expansion is also a contentious issue.  House members refused to consider the so-called Cadillac tax (i.e., a tax on expensive insurance plans) but the Senate has taken the opposite approach to financing and included a wealth surtax (the so-called millionaires’ tax) rather than including a Cadillac tax.  The House bill also has stricter language against funding for abortion.

While negotiators are expected to closely adhere to the Senate-passed bill  in order to ensure the 60 votes needed to pass a final conference report in the Senate, they will have to make some changes in conference in order to keep the support of House Democrats.  The House version of the bill passed by only three votes, and the Speaker knows that rank and file members will not accept a final conference report without changes.

Leadership and committee staff are expected to start meeting in the next week to design a framework for the final negotiations and committee chairs are expected to be back in DC the first week of 2010 to start negotiating in earnest.

Congressional leaders hope to send a final bill to President Obama by the end of January or early February.

C3 will continue to work with legislators to advocate for improvements to the pending bills that will provide all Americans with the access to care that is critical to preventing, treating and beating colorectal cancer.  Click here to see a chart outlining and comparing the provisions in the House-passed and Senate-passed bills that will affect colorectal cancer patients.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with us by leaving comments below.

As the Senate moves forward with consideration of additional amendments, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is planning on offering an amendment requiring that all third-party payers cover routine patient care costs incurred by patients enrolled in clinical trials.  The amendment will apply to all phases of clinical trials for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Cancer advocates have worked steadily for more than a decade to ensure that third-party payers cover the routine patients care costs incurred in clinical trials.  The Medicare clinical trials coverage policy has been in place since 2000, and more than half of all states have enacted clinical trials coverage laws.  These coverage standards ensure that cancer patients can receive their care in clinical studies, providing them access to a variety of treatment options and ensuring that the pace of clinical research is not slowed by reimbursement issues.

C3 strongly believes that it is important that the health care reform effort build on the successes of the last decade and is pleased to join with the Cancer Leadership Council in endorsing the clinical trials amendment that Senator Brown will be introducing.  Senator Brown’s amendment will establish a policy for third-party coverage of routine patient care costs for patients participating in clinical trials and will help expand access to clinical trials.

As the Senate moves forward with consideration of its health care reform bill we will keep you posted on the status of Senator Brown’s clinical trials amendment.  For a side-by-side comparison of the various provisions in both the Senate and House health care reform bills that affect colorectal cancer patients click here.

This month both the House and Senate took historic votes and moved a couple of steps closer to getting the President a final health care reform bill to sign, but there is a long road ahead before Congress has a final bill that will be ready for the President.  On November 7, the House passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act by a vote of 220-215.  And, on November 21, by a party-line vote of 60-39 the Senate voted to move forward with debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Senate is expected to begin floor debate and consideration of amendments the week of November 30 and continue debate until right before Christmas.  A vote on final passage of the health reform bill is expected in the Senate sometime between December 18-23.

If the Senate passes a health reform bill, that bill will have to be combined with the House bill into a “conference report.”  Both the House and Senate will then have to vote again on the conference report.  House and Senate leadership has indicated that they would like to consider a final health care reform conference report the second or third week of January in order to send a bill to the President before the State of the Union address.

C3 will continue to work with legislators to advocate for improvements to the pending bills that will provide all Americans with the access to care that is critical to preventing, treating and beating colorectal cancer.  See the document below for a summary and comparison of some of the provisions in the House and Senate bills that C3 thinks are important for people living with colorectal cancer.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with us by leaving comments below.

Comparison of House and Senate Health Reform Bills 11 24 09 – FINAL

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson (NE) announced this afternoon that he will vote for cloture on the motion to proceed Saturday.

Continue reading to see exactly what Senator Nelson said, and for additional updates on the pending vote.

In explaining his support for the procedural vote, Senator Nelson said “[t]he Senate should start trying to fix a healthcare system that costs too much and delivers too little for Nebraskans.  Throughout my Senate career, I have consistently rejected efforts to obstruct.  That’s what the vote on the motion to proceed is all about. It is not for or against the new Senate healthcare bill released Wednesday.  It is only to begin debate and an opportunity to make improvements.  If you don’t like a bill, why block your own opportunity to amend it?”.

The Senate began debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act this morning.  A cloture vote on the motion to proceed is expected around 8pm on Saturday.  You can watch the debate and vote online.

If, as expected, Senate Majority Leader Reid gets the 60 votes he needs on Saturday, three weeks of debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will begin the week of November 30 and continue until right before Christmas.  At the conclusion of debate and consideration of amendments, a vote on final passage of the health reform bill is expected sometime between December 18-23.

Numerous amendments are expected during Senate consideration of the bill, but even as was introduced this week, the Senate bill is very different from the bill that the House passed earlier this month which means that both chambers will have to conference their bills.  House and Senate leadership has indicated that they would like to consider the conference report/final bill the second or third week of January in order to send a final health reform bill to the President before the State of the Union address.

On Thursday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Reid (NV) set the procedural wheels in motion for a vote on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The first procedural vote is expected around 8pm on Saturday.  It will be a cloture vote on the motion to proceed.  Majority Leader Reid is working to line up the 60 votes needed to pass the cloture motion (a cloture motion must be approved by three-fifths of the Senate).

Continue reading for more information on the upcoming Senate vote as well as a summary of some of the provisions included in the Senate bill that C3 thinks are important for people living with colorectal cancer.

Typically, a cloture vote will be followed by a second procedural vote – a vote on the motion to proceed.  This vote requires a simple majority vote to pass.  However, Senate Republicans have agreed to waive this second procedural vote and forego reading the bill on the Senate floor in exchange for an all-day debate on the bill on Saturday (without this agreement, the Senate rules would have only required one hour of debate before the cloture vote).

The New York Times reports that Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson (NE), Mary Landrieu (LA), and Blanche Lincoln (AR) “are proving tough sells” on health care reform, “raising the prospect that one or perhaps all three of them could scuttle the bill before the fight over it even begins on the Senate floor.”  Should the cloture vote fail, Democrats may be forced “to regroup and redraw the measure or even switch to a more contentious procedural shortcut around the need for a 60-vote majority.”  Politico has a good article on the fast track options for moving the legislation forward.

Be sure to tune in and watch the debate and vote on Saturday.  You can watch the vote on C-Span’s website.

The $849 billion Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes a public option that will extend health insurance coverage to 31 million Americans.  The reimbursement rates for the public plan will not be tied to Medicare, and co-ops will still be offered.  The bill will create an insurance exchange where people can compare and purchase health insurance, it expands Medicaid coverage to those earning 133 percent of the federal poverty level, and it offers subsidies to help those without employer sponsored insurance purchase health insurance.

Increasing the number of Americans with health insurance will help reduce mortality rates from colorectal cancer.  Many studies show that people who are uninsured are substantially less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer.  In addition, insurance status strongly influences survival among those diagnosed with colorectal cancer – individuals with private insurance who are diagnosed with Stage II colorectal cancer have better survival outcomes than individuals who are uninsured and are diagnosed with Stage I colorectal cancer.

Like the House health reform bill, the Senate bill eliminates pre-existing condition exclusions.  Eliminating pre-existing conditions exclusions is very important for cancer patients.  Pre-existing condition exclusions lock the millions of Americans with at least one chronic illness (nearly one third of the population) into existing plans and employment.

The bill will eliminate cost-sharing requirements for all preventive services (including colorectal cancer screening) that have a United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) A/B rating, and require coverage of these tests by private insurance.

It also has a section regarding community preventive screenings, and specifically lists cancer screenings as one of the community interventions needed to improve public health.

The bill establishes a prevention and public health fund to be administered through the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services to provide for an expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs.  This new fund will support public health activities including prevention research and health screenings.

Many colorectal cancer patients face a lifetime of cancer treatment.  Caps on insurance result in very difficult decisions about the care they will receive and how they are going to pay for it.  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act eliminates “unreasonable annual benefits” and lifetime limits on the dollar value of benefits for any participant or beneficiary for all group health plans and health insurance coverage required to provide “essential health benefits” (i.e., any insurance company or plan that participates in the new health insurance exchange).

Senate Democrats have complied a section-by-section summary of the bill along with a timeline for implementation of the various provisions in the bill.  In addition, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reviewed the legislation.  CBO’s analysis and cost estimate of the bill is available online.

The cloture vote on Saturday is an important step in getting a final health reform bill sent to the President, but there is still a long road ahead for health reform and many areas where the pending bills could be improved.

C3 has been closely following the various health reform proposals introduced in Congress, and will continue to work with legislators to advocate for the access to care that is critical to preventing, treating and beating colorectal cancer.  Please feel free to share your thoughts with us by leaving comments below.

Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Chris Dodd (D-CT)

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed its portion of the health reform legislation and have now sent it to the Senate floor. The legislation hopes to expand insurance coverage to nearly every American.

“This time we’ve produced legislation that by and large I think the American people want,” said Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), who stood in for committee chairman Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Kennedy, who’s made health care legislation a lifelong priority, is being treated for brain cancer. (The Associated Press)

C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition has been supportive of many provisions in the overall reform bill, including the elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions, protections from annual and lifetime insurance limits, and increased utilization of preventative screenings. These provisions will have a profound effect on the way colorectal cancer is dealt with in this country. From mandating insurance companies to cover the cost of colonoscopies or protecting those suffering from the disease from having to file for bankruptcy; we hope to see better overall employment of the health care system.

Debate will continue in the House and Senate. Each side will maintain their individual opinions on what will work better, but the general consensus remains…something needs to be done.

C3 hopes an open dialogue will continue in both chambers and agreement will be reached on the biggest overhaul of the American health care system we’ve ever seen.

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Cancer Survivor and Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has decided to leave the Republican Party and run in the 2010 Democratic primary. You can read the Senator’s statement below.

April 28, 2009

Statement by Senator Arlen Specter

I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.

I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank specially Senators McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.

I am not making this decision because there are no important and interesting opportunities outside the Senate. I take on this complicated run for re-election because I am deeply concerned about the future of our country and I believe I have a significant contribution to make on many of the key issues of the day, especially medical research. NIH funding has saved or lengthened thousands of lives, including mine, and much more needs to be done. And my seniority is very important to continue to bring important projects vital to Pennsylvania’s economy.

I am taking this action now because there are fewer than thirteen months to the 2010 Pennsylvania Primary and there is much to be done in preparation for that election. Upon request, I will return campaign contributions contributed during this cycle.

While each member of the Senate caucuses with his Party, what each of us hopes to accomplish is distinct from his party affiliation. The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation. And no Senator, no matter how loyal he is to his Party, should or would put party loyalty above his duty to the state and nation.

My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (Card Check) will not change.

Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy’s statement that sometimes Party asks too much. When it does, I will continue my independent voting and follow my conscience on what I think is best for Pennsylvania and America.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) outlined his priorities for health care reform at a community forum last week in Ohio.

Senator Brown, who has been a long time supporter for reforming the American health care system said, “We need health reform to ensure that every American has access to high quality, affordable health coverage…As it stands, 46 million Americans are uninsured, and that is 46 million too many.”

The Senator has been an advocate of a one payer system in the past, but admitted that this wasn’t likely going to happen in this Congress. He is now pushing for a mix between private and public health coverage.

Senator Brown is also the lead sponsor of the Cancer Clinical Trials Act (S. 488). His legislation, which C3 has endorsed, would require group and individual health insurance coverage for people participating in approved cancer clinical trials.

The two bills have some very distinct ideological differences with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her House Democrats wanting more spending while Senate leaders pushing for more overall tax cuts.

Democratic leaders have set a deadline of Presidents day, but this may be tested by a lengthy conference.

Stay tuned for any further updates…