ASCO Staff Raising Healthcare Issues with Federal and State Legislators

Republicans have the majority in both houses of the 114^th Congress, which began on Jan. 6. They hold 54 seats in the U.S. Senate (with Sen. Mitch McConnell as new majority leader) and 245 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives (with Rep. John Boehner re-elected as Speaker of the House). Republicans have not been in control of both the House and Senate since 2007.

Lawmakers will need to address a number of health care issues early on, including the sustainable growth rate (SGR) patch, which expires March 31; the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which expires Oct.1; and 21

Century Cures legislation, which is expected to be released in the first few months of 2015. ASCO staff has begun meeting with members of the new Congress, and the ASCO Government Relations Committee will meet with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12. Reforming Medicare Physician Payment, the 21st Century Cures initiative, and NIH funding are among the cancer-related issues that ASCO is discussing with lawmakers.

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Link to the news on ASCO's website: http://bit.ly/1yifZvy