This has been a busy year for AOSW in the advocacy arena. We started in January by issuing a Statement of Health Policy Principles. Based on these principles, AOSW issued public statements of opposition to several attempts in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We were not alone in these efforts. Soon cancer advocacy organizations were working together to fight the efforts to repeal the ACA. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) spearheaded several successful social media campaigns to demonstrate a powerful unified voice standing up to preserve the patient protections established in the ACA, like this one from July:

This year we have also seen how one thing leads to another. Once NCCS had formed, we were able to quickly respond in unison to other threats, including the decision to eliminate cost-sharing reductions as well as provisions of the tax reform bill that would eliminate the medical expense deduction and the individual mandate.

We also shared a statement of support for bipartisan efforts to stabilize the individual market. AOSW was able to participate in a coalition video opposing the Graham Cassidy bill, as well as a print advertisement sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation:

AOSW also participates as a member of the Patient Quality of Life Coalition (PQLC), which has led to opportunities for us to work with others in promoting high quality palliative care. This includes support for the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) bill currently being considered in Congress. Likewise, we’ve been able to sign on with policy letters spearheaded by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Coalition advocacy has been a powerful way for AOSW to raise its profile and have an impact on public discourse.

Cancer advocacy organizations have had much to fight for this year. The prospect of losing the patient protections established by the Affordable Care Act presented a serious and immediate threat for all groups serving people with cancer. If there has been a silver lining, though, perhaps it is that the partnerships and coalitions formed in the fight to protect the ACA have strengthened and remain quite robust. AOSW is right there in the mix. We have been learning, growing and building our advocacy muscle through all of it.

The Advocacy Committee has also started the AOSW Action Network Blog. This is a place where we can share policy updates, perspectives and advocacy stories from AOSW members. Be sure to watch for new posts, and think about how YOU can contribute to our advocacy work.

I want to acknowledge and thank the entire AOSW Advocacy Committee for the work we’ve done this year: Jennifer Dunn, Elizabeth Franklin, Rosemary Milich, Leena Nehru, Sean Powell, Maureen Rigney, and Nina Miller (as an advisor to the committee).