Southeastern Medical Oncology Center

What Every Cancer Patient, Caregiver, and Survivor Should Know

And What to Do About It!

Cancer care is in crisis. The government is planning to make severe cuts to Medicare payments for cancer care. Medicare pays for about 50% of cancer care - it affects how insurance companies pay for cancer care. So, even if you are not a senior covered by Medicare, you need to understand the crisis being caused by Medicare because it impacts all with cancer.

Medicare has severely cut payments for cancer care since 2004. Now, the government is proposing more drastic payment cuts. For example, Medicare will decrease payments for the administration of life-saving cancer drugs by up to 38% next year. Payment cuts are also planned for imaging tests - such as PET and CAT scans - that help find and manage cancer, as well as for radiation treatment.

The payment cuts already made are impacting doctors' ability to treat patients. Some clinics have closed; others have had to reduce staff and send patients elsewhere for treatment. If these new cuts take place, they will cause a major crisis in cancer care.

We are running out of doctors to meet the growing demand for cancer care. In about 10 years we will be short an oncologist for every 1 in 3 cancer patients. This is adding to the crisis.

This is not about politics - Democrats or Republicans; liberals or conservatives. This is about Americans who have and will get cancer. The United States has the best cancer care in the world as judged by increased survival and quality of life for people with cancer. But cancer care is in crisis and health care reform needs to address this national problem.

Help Stop the Cuts to Cancer Care!

Health care reform needs to fix cancer care; not break it further.

Contact your US Senators Below:

Seantor Richard Burr

(202)224-3154

Senator Kay Hagan

(202)224-6342

Contact your US House of Representatives Below:

Go to www.communityoncology.org for more information and how to contact your members of Congress.

This public message brought to you by Southeastern Medical Oncology Center

Contact your elected officials TODAY and share with this all the people you know!