The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is holding its annual Advocacy Summit Week of Action from May 1-5, during which ASCO members are encouraged to connect with their Members of Congress about policies and legislation that impact cancer care and research. Participants may visit the ACT Network to contact their lawmakers—in just a few clicks—to urge them to take action on the following issues:

• Prior Authorization – A 2022 ASCO survey shows that prior authorization continues to be a major concern for the Association’s members and their patients. Despite having broad bipartisan support, unfortunately legislation to streamline prior authorizations in Medicare Advantage stalled during the last Congress. ASCO appreciates the Members of Congress who cosponsored that bill, and the Association will continue to advocate for much needed reforms, including raising the issue with lawmakers during the Advocacy Summit Week of Action.
• Copay Accumulators – ASCO is calling on Members in the House of Representatives to cosponsor the Help Copays Act (H.R. 830), to prohibit health insurance plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from using copay accumulator programs to pocket patients’ copay assistance payments, and the Association urges Senators to lead companion legislation. Copay accumulators—in which health payers and PBMs prevent drug manufacturers’ co-pay assistance payments from being applied toward patients’ deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums—raise out-of-pocket costs and remove a safety net for patients who cannot otherwise afford their treatment, thus negating the intended benefit of manufacturers’ patient assistance programs.
• Cancer Research – Over the last fifty years, research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) has played a role in every major advancement related to cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) joins these agencies with the potential for transformative health breakthroughs for cancer care and other diseases. A commitment to sustainable, long-term research funding remains critical in FY 2024 to support the National Cancer Plan and achieve the renewed Cancer Moonshot initiative’s ambitious goal of “ending cancer as we know it.” ASCO urges Congress to provide $51 billion for the NIH, $9.988 billion for the NCI and $1.5 billion for ARPA-H in FY 2024.

The Week of Action will be held in conjunction with the annual ASCO Advocacy Summit, May 1-2, which will be back on Capitol Hill for the first time since 2019. During the event, oncology care providers from across the United States will meet with Members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C. to advocate for the Association’s advocacy priorities.

As part of the Advocacy Summit, ASCO will present the “Congressional Champion for Cancer Care Award,” to acknowledge Members of Congress who champion policies to improve research and care delivery for cancer patients. The Association will also present the “Advocate of the Year” award to an ASCO member who has demonstrated exceptional advocacy efforts on behalf of their patients and cancer care teams.

Please use the hashtag #ASCOAdvocacySummit on social media to lend your voice to the conversation and to see photos and updates from the event.

Bookmark ASCO in Action to stay up-to-date on all of ASCO’s advocacy efforts.