Our next committee meeting is tomorrow at 6PM at the West Bridgewater American Cancer Society office - 5 Manley Street in West Bridgewater. Anyone is welcome to attend this meeting and join the committee.
Also, Kick Off is officially scheduled for Tuesday, February 5th at 6:30 PM at the West Bridgewater American Cancer Society office. We are looking forward to seeing all of you!
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Governor Deval Patrick officially signed the oral chemotherapy parity bill on Saturday, January 5th. This has been an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) priority to ensure all forms of chemotherapy are accessible and affordable. Prior to this bill, chemotherapy pills were billed under prescription drug plans, while intravenous types were billed as a medical benefit. The parity bill now treats them as the same, and it has the potential to cut thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs for those fighting cancer.
Before the bill was signed, private insurance plans would charge higher co-pays for oral chemoterapy plls and they would fall under a category allowing for no annual out-of-pocket limits for patients. This meant that this form of treatment could be inaccessible due to the expense. Now, oral and IV chemotherapy will be treated as the same by insurers, which gives more patients options for their treatment. This breakdown of the bill from the Oklahoma ACS CAN further explains why this action from Governor Patrick was so important.
This bill was originally brought to my attention through my membership in ACS CAN, the lobby arm of the American Cancer Society. You can join here and help us make cancer advocacy a priority.
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook! You can also reach the website at http://www.relaybridgewater.org/ or email us at relaybridgewater@gmail.com.
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