Dear Legislative Action Network,

With a busy 2024 legislative session underway, here is the latest update on priority legislation from Dana-Farber's advocacy team. For more information, click here.

Legislative committees have approved Dana-Farber's priority legislation, which is now able to move forward for further consideration in this legislative session. The bills include: 

• An Act Relative to Breast Cancer Equity and Early Detection (SB711/HB4410) would ensure patients can access a follow-up breast imaging and exams with no out-of-pocket costs.
• An Act relative to Preserving Fertility (SB598/HB1041) would provide health insurance coverage for standard fertility preservation services when a patient has a diagnosed medical or genetic condition, such as cancer that may directly or indirectly cause impairment of fertility by affecting reproductive organs or processes.
• Pediatric Palliative Care Program (SB1539) would ensure that all eligible children would have access to the Pediatric Palliative care program. It raises the age of eligibility for the program from 19 years old to 22 years old, in order to create continuity of care and alignment with other state programs.
• An Act Relative to Telehealth and Digital Equity (SB655/HB986) builds off gains made in telehealth access during the pandemic and would ensure that cancer patients, among others, are able to continue to access telehealth services in Massachusetts. It will also ensure that patients currently using telehealth will not face disruptions to their care while also addressing the digital divide, which has prevented some patients from utilizing telehealth services altogether.

The following bills received an extension:

• An Act Relative to Cancer Patient Access to Biomarker Testing (SB689/HB1074) ensures coverage of biomarker testing for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of illnesses such as cancer. It avoids delays in both determining whether a patient is a candidate for a biomarker test and for the precision medicine therapy that will allow patients to receive the most appropriate treatment for illnesses such as cancer.
• An Act Relative to Reducing Administrative Burden (S1249) would improve access to and continuity of care for patients by making prior authorization valid for the duration of a course of treatment or at least one year, a provision that is critical for patients receiving treatment for cancer. 

DFCI priority bills that are still being evaluated by the legislative committees include:

• An Act to Advance Health Equity (SB799/HB1250) is a substantial package of systemic policy changes that will support the fair and just opportunity for all residents of the Commonwealth to live healthy lives. It calls for reform in three ways: prioritize equity in Massachusetts State Government, standardize and report on data to advance health equity, and improve access and quality of care.
• An Act Promoting Access to Counsel and Housing Stability in Massachusetts (SB864/HB1731) would provide access to full legal representation for low-income tenants and low-income owner-occupants facing eviction proceedings. 

Team Update

Caroline Powers, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, is pleased to welcome Scott Hartman, Yaminah Romulus, and Michelle Lanteigne to the DFCI advocacy team.

Scott Hartman was appointed Director of Government Affairs at Dana-Farber in October 2023. With over 30 years of healthcare advocacy experience, Scott brings a wealth of expertise to Dana-Farber's Government Affairs team. Before joining Dana-Farber, he held various public affairs positions at Beth Israel Lahey Health and its subsidiary, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington. Scott's email is scott_hartman@dfci.harvard.edu, and his phone number is 781.443.5253.

Yaminah Romulus (she/her), Manager of Government Affairs, joined Dana-Farber in July 2022. She comes to Dana-Farber from Health Care For All, a healthcare consumer advocacy organization, where she served as a Policy Manager and was responsible for supporting HCFA's maternal and child healthcare advocacy work. Yaminah's email address is yaminah_romulus@dfci.harvard.edu, and her phone number is 857.215.6111.

Michelle Lanteigne joined the team in September as Dana-Farber 2023-2024 Patient Advocacy Intern. Michelle is in her final year of the master's in social work program at Bridgewater State University. She is engaged in advocacy and bridging the activities between Government Affairs and the Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs).

  Dana-Farber Advocates for Change on Capitol Hill 

Two Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) members and a parent joined the Dana-Farber advocacy team at the Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days in Washington, DC. This two-day event provided parents, children, healthcare professionals, and others from across the country an opportunity to advocate for important childhood cancer issues before Congress. 

The team met with staff from various offices of the Massachusetts congressional delegation to:

• Encourage Congress to provide $30 million to fully fund the Childhood Cancer Star Act for a seventh year and $50 million to fully fund the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative for a sixth year.
• Urge Congress to provide significant funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Fiscal Year 2024.
• Ask members to cosponsor the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (S.2372) which would help children with cancer as they often require specialized care that may not be available in their home state. This act reduces regulatory burdens to allow children with complex medical needs greater access to out-of-state providers who can best meet their needs.
• Ask members to cosponsor the Pediatric Cancer Drug Supply Act (H.R. 6953) which addresses drug shortages which significantly impact children with cancer and the health professionals who care for them. Providers are forced to prioritize some patients over others, delaying treatment for children and creating a disruption to clinical trials. This act creates a pilot program that directs HHS to establish and maintain a 6-month reserve of essential childhood cancer chemotherapy drugs.

 Legislative Breakfast with Members of the Boston Delegation

On Friday, members of the Boston Delegation met with Dana-Farber leadership to discuss the proposal for a new, freestanding adult inpatient cancer hospital in Boston's Longwood Medical Area. The legislative breakfast was an opportunity for legislators to learn more about the inpatient hospital as well as the proposed clinical collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The discussion centered around how this project will expand patient access to groundbreaking, cost-effective cancer care.

Upcoming Events

Join the ACS CAN Massachusetts team for a day at the State House in Boston on Thursday, March 14th, 2024! You have the opportunity to share your story, and help to save and protect thousands of lives.There will be an impactful program planned, including (but not limited to) issue briefings, social media activities, and time for you to meet with your legislators to stand up for cancer patients.

Location: Massachusetts State House, Boston

Date/Time: Thursday, March 14th, 2024 - 10:00am to 3:00pm

RSVP: Make your voice heard in 2024!

Reminder: Massachusetts Presidential Primary

The Massachusetts Presidential Primary is today, March 5th, 2024. Use this link to check the location of voting places, and you can check your voter registration status here.  

Under state and federal law, non-profit organizations like Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) may discuss federal, state and local policy, regulatory and budgetary issues, including ballot questions, and take appropriate advocacy and lobbying actions, so long as we remain nonpartisan while doing so and appropriately report all permissible activities to required state, federal and local entities.
 
To remain nonpartisan, DFCI cannot and does not endorse or oppose any candidate for political office, political party or affiliation. DFCI employees may not participate in or make statements that qualify as a prohibited political activity during work hours. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute does not tell our employees, patients, caregivers or visitors to the Institute how to vote, or require that they vote in a manner consistent with any institutional policy position that we take. We do, however, encourage nonpartisan participation in activities such as voting and completing the US Census.