Midterms Signal Changes to Committees That Govern Cancer Care

The midterm election will bring generational change to both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Partnership will guide our work as the cancer care community prepares for this transition. Heading into 2027, at least 25% of the members serving on 4 key congressional committees—House Energy and Commerce, House Ways and Means, Senate Finance, and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)—are leaving their current House or Senate seats. These 4 committees influence policies affecting community cancer care, and these transitions will reshape the leadership, relationships, and institutional knowledge that shape federal health care policy.

For members of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), this moment calls for appreciation and renewed engagement. We thank departing lawmakers for their service and willingness to hear from patients, physicians, and practice teams. We look forward to continuing our work with returning members and building productive relationships with the 120th Congress. The transition offers an opportunity to introduce community oncology’s priorities to new audiences while strengthening established partnerships.

As a member of COA’s board and its Government Affairs and Policy Committee, and cochair of the Drug Policy and Regulatory Committee, I approach this work with responsibility and optimism. These roles reinforce the importance of connecting policy discussions with the experiences of those delivering and receiving cancer care. They underscore our obligation to offer recommendations that are evidence-based, practical, and responsive to patients’ needs.

Incoming lawmakers, including several physicians, will bring new perspectives and professional experiences. Their arrival creates opportunities to discuss treatment access, affordability, and the infrastructure supporting care close to home. Whatever their background or political affiliation, every member represents individuals and families affected by cancer. That shared concern provides a foundation for collaboration.

COA members are essential to these conversations. Their experiences can illuminate how reimbursement policies, administrative requirements, and drug distribution arrangements affect treatment decisions and practice operations. By welcoming lawmakers into their practices and sharing patients’ experiences, members can help translate complex policy debates into understandable consequences for the communities Congress serves.

Our engagement will continue to encompass the 340B Drug Pricing Program, pharmacy benefit managers, and implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. Across these issues, we should pursue a consistent objective: improving affordability without undermining patients’ ability to receive timely, high-quality care.

That includes support for the policy approach reflected in HR 4299, the Protecting Patient Access to Cancer and Complex Therapies Act. Its proposed manufacturer-rebate framework seeks to preserve Medicare savings and reduced patient cost sharing while addressing reimbursement concerns for providers administering negotiated medicines. The principle guiding this effort should carry forward: lower drug costs and sustainable community-based care must be pursued together.

Progress will require constructive engagement among stakeholders who may differ on policy details, along with consistent relationship building. New members and staff will need reliable resources as they develop their health care agendas. COA members can meet that need through sustained communication, thoughtful education, credible evidence, and recommendations grounded in patient and practice experience. Listening carefully and acknowledging trade-offs can help identify workable solutions rather than restating familiar positions.

Our goal remains unchanged: improving patient access and affordability so people facing cancer can receive high-quality, low-cost care in the communities where they live. As the 120th Congress begins its work, we welcome the opportunity to advance that goal together—with respect for differing viewpoints, appreciation for public service, and a shared commitment to meaningful progress for patients, families, and the community practices that care for them every day.

Kathy Oubre, MS, is associate editor of Evidence-Based Oncology. She is CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, with locations in Covington and Hammond, Louisiana.