ASCO President Elect Dr. Robin Zon, MD, FACP, FASCO, presented at the fall 2023 Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology’s Annual Meeting and spoke with Hawaii Governor Josh Green, MD, about ASCO’s advocacy priorities.
Dr. Yogesh Jethava, MBBS, MRCP, a member of the Indiana Oncology Society, testified in support of legislation establishing a drug repository program during a hearing held by Indiana's House Ways and Means Committee in January 2023. The bill was signed into law in May 2023.
Engage in ASCO’s State Advocacy Efforts
Now more than ever legislative and regulatory action at the state level is shaping cancer care and the practice of oncology. Often, when lawmakers pass a law or regulatory agencies enact regulations in one state, it creates a model that other states pursue. States also often serve as incubators for federal policymaking.
The active participation of cancer care professionals in state advocacy serves a crucial purpose—it ensures that policies support the best quality of care for our patients and the practice of oncology. Through meetings and letters to state policymakers, as well as in-person testimony at state hearings, cancer care providers can make a meaningful difference in policy that will impact cancer patients and providers.
Resources
- ASCO's State ACT Network
- Access legislative activity that could impact cancer care and the practice of oncology in your state
- Share your views with your State Representatives and Senators on priority state legislative issues
- 2024 State Legislative Calendar: Find out when your state legislature is in session
- 2024 State Advocacy Priorities: Summaries of ASCO’s State Advocacy Priorities
- State Cancer Fact Sheets: Useful cancer information and data for all fifty states plus the District of Columbia
ASCO and State Affiliates: Advocating Together
ASCO and State Affiliates are increasingly partnering in state-level advocacy, ensuring that the voice of oncology is heard by state policymakers on issues such as prior authorization, co-pay accumulators, and fertility preservation. ASCO supports State Affiliates by
- Providing state advocacy toolkits, policy statements, and other resources
- Analyzing state legislation and regulations
- Drafting comment letters on legislation and regulations
- Preparing testimony for state hearings and meetings
- Coordinating grassroots alerts through ASCO’s State ACT Network
- Facilitating access to state-level coalitions on legislative priorities
- Crafting social media messaging, including tweets when appropriate
Questions for the State Advocacy team can be sent by email to Aaron Segel, Sarah Lanford, and Nick Telesco.