Newly Introduced: Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act
The Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act was reintroduced on May 14th in the House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation is an important step on the path to improving survivorship care to better meet the unique lifelong needs of cancer survivors, including the nation's 521,000 childhood cancer survivors.
Children's Cancer Cause joins with more than 50 national organizations in supporting this bill, and we are deeply grateful to Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and Joe Wilson (SC-2) for leading its reintroduction in this Congress.
Since our founding, Children’s Cancer Cause has made survivorship a key pillar of our work toward our vision of a long, healthy life for every child with cancer. The Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act would help create a more coordinated, patient-centered system that supports survivors not just during treatment but throughout the rest of their lives.
What Would the Bill Do?
We're particularly proud that this bill would ensure Medicaid coverage of healthcare transition services for survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer,a provision Children's Cancer Cause helped develop and provided technical feedback on.
Childhood cancer survivors face a lifetime of health challenges due to their treatment. Many transition into primary care without a survivorship care plan and are unprepared for the significant health issues they may face, including hearing loss, infertility, and cardiac late effects. This bill will help survivors better understand their care and avoid falling through cracks after treatment.
The legislation includes provisions that address workplace and financial challenges and supportive care services aimed at improving quality of life.
This bill would also:
Direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study new payment models that support high-quality survivorship care
Convene a stakeholder meeting to evaluate the use of information technology to improve transitions in care
Establish an Office of Cancer Survivorship within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to lead national efforts focused on improving survivorship care and outcomes
Require a national progress report on the evolution of survivorship care since enactment of the National Cancer Act of 1971
How You Can Help
Early legislative support is critical for building momentum in Congress. Adding cosponsors early helps demonstrate strong public support and increases a bill's visibility.
Please join us in asking Congress to support cancer survivors by becoming early cosponsors of the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act.