NBCC Organizational Support for Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act |
Please fill out the form below to add your organization's name in support of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act. Current organizational cosponsors of this legislation to date are listed here.
Dear Members of Congress:
We, the undersigned organizations, join the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) in urging you to enact the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (S. 663/H.R. 549), sponsored by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Representatives Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Kathy Castor (D-FL). Passage of this critical legislation would ensure eligible individuals with metastatic breast cancer access to the support and medical care they need.
This critical legislation, which has already gained significant bipartisan support in the 118th Congress, must be passed this year.
Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that has spread from the breast to the bones, lungs, or other parts of the body. As you may know, 90% of breast cancer deaths are as a result of metastatic disease. The average life expectancy of an individual with metastatic breast cancer is 3 years. While there are treatments that may extend the lives of individuals with MBC, there is no cure.
Under current law, if an individual is found to be disabled for the purposes of Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), they must wait 24 months for Medicare coverage and 5 months to receive SSDI benefits. During this arbitrary waiting period, individuals with metastatic disease face incredible hardships in supporting themselves and their families and receiving the appropriate medical care that they desperately need. Under current law, individuals with metastatic breast cancer may never receive the SSDI and Medicare benefits for which they are eligible as result of these onerous waiting periods.
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act would waive the 5-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance and the 24-month waiting period for Medicare benefits for individuals with metastatic breast cancer who are determined to be eligible under the current programs. There is broad bipartisan support for this bill, and thousands of individuals from across the country are asking their Senators and Representatives to enact this legislation as soon as possible. For patients and their families in your district, time is of the essence.