Sign the Petition to Stop Cancer Care Cuts!
Please sign the Stop Cancer Care Cuts petition below. It takes seconds to fill in some basic information. In minutes, you will receive an email confirming that you signed the petition. If you do not get this confirmation email back to you, please check your junk or spam inbox to see if it is there. If you have any questions or problems with registration, or do not get the email after you sign, please contact Dee Shook at dshook@COAcancer.org and she will help. Thank you!
Why should you sign the petition?
The United States has the world’s best cancer care as judged by increased survival and quality of life for people with cancer. But cancer care is in crisis and it needs to be fixed. Your signature will help send a simple message — these cuts have to stop!
Anyone concerned about the future of cancer care in this country should sign this petition. That includes members of the cancer care delivery team, cancer patients, caregivers, survivors, and any American concerned about cancer care.
What are these cuts to cancer care all about?
The government has cut Medicare payments for cancer care in 2010 and will continue to make cuts through 2013. Because Medicare covers so many people, it also influences how insurance companies pay for cancer care. So, these cuts eventually affect all cancer patients, not just Medicare patients.
For example, the government has severely cut payments for the administration of cancer drugs and related services by over 25% since 2004. Now, the government is decreasing these payments by 5% each year from 2010 through 2013. According to a study just released, Medicare covered only 57% of the costs of these services in 2009. That will decline to 48% by 2013. Payment cuts are also being made to imaging tests — such as PET and CT scans — that help find and manage cancer.
The payment cuts already made are impacting doctors’ ability to treat patients. This also hurts research, which drives the search for the cure. Cancer clinics cannot continue to operate when their costs are greater than revenues. Absorbing more payment cuts is not sustainable. Some clinics have closed; others have had to reduce staff and send patients elsewhere for treatment. This is not meant to scare anyone; just inform everyone about a very serious situation.
Who will get the petition and when?
The petition will be delivered to members of Congress and President Obama. This is turning out to be a major election year and everyone in Washington, DC will be listening as November approaches. We want to keep the petition open till October and then deliver it during a cancer care rally day on Capitol Hill. More details to come.
Please sign the petition below to Stop Cancer Care Cuts!
Please fill in the information required below and click on the button to send. Contact Dee Shook at dshook@COAcancer.org if you have any problems. Also, please help spread the word to all your friends on email and Facebook. Check out this Facebook group and join us on the COA Facebook page.
Want a laugh for a good cause? Check out the I Gotta Feeling Dance for Cancer Care! Before going up to Capitol Hill to fight for cancer care, we did this dance for everyone we know battling cancer.
Thank you!
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Stop Cancer Care Cuts Petition
Dear Policymaker:
I stand united with the undersigned Americans who implore you to Stop
Cancer Care Cuts. We have the world's best cancer care but it is in
crisis and endangered by severe government payment cuts. Health care
reform needs to address this crisis!
Note: Items with an * are required information.
After you have signed the petition above, please help get the word out to others to sign the petition.
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