Susan G. Komen recognizes that, in order to achieve its mission, scientific progress must be complemented by sound legislative and regulatory policy. Through government action, broad, systemic, lasting change can be made in the fight against breast cancer.
Komen, as a patient advocacy organization with first-hand knowledge of how breast cancer touches local communities, must engage policymakers and governments as partners in our efforts to end breast cancer forever.
To be active in this capacity, Komen Colorado monitors public policy decisions at the state level that affects access to breast cancer care.
The Affiliate also supports Susan G. Komen’s federal breast cancer advocacy priorities by educating elected officials in Colorado about how federal laws and regulations could impact breast cancer patients and survivors.
Komen Colorado’s advocacy work is directed by the Public Policy Advisory Committee and carried out by a grassroots network of breast cancer patients, survivors, supporters, and providers.
2017 Federal Advocacy Priorities
- Support for expanded federal funding for all biomedical research, especially breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DOD)
- Support state and federal funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and support policies to modernize NBCCEDP state programs to expand eligibility and provide breast cancer screening and diagnostic services for additional populations
- Advocate for policies to improve insurance coverage of breast cancer treatments and screening, specifically pertaining to increased access to drug therapies and limiting out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic mammography
- Read an example of this by learning about federal parity in insurance coverage for orally administered anti-cancer medications
- Evaluate state and federal policies to increase awareness, education, and access to clinical trials for all patient populations
2017 State Advocacy Priorities
Every year, Komen Colorado chooses legislative priorities based on state legislation that will be introduced during the session that runs January through May.
More information about the 2018 state advocacy priorities will be available in January 2018 as the next section gets underway and bills are introduced.
Komen Colorado also monitors proposed changes to regulations issued by various departments to ensure the coverage for breast cancer care is not lost. Departments that Komen Colorado monitors are:
- Colorado Division of Insurance
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which administers:
- Colorado Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP)
- Health First Colorado, Colorado’s Medicaid insurance program
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which administers:
- Women’s Wellness Connection for free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic tests for eligible women
- Colorado Central Cancer Registry that tracks information about cancer diagnoses across the state
- Colorado’s efforts to achieve the Colorado Cancer Plan goals by 2020