International Myeloma Foundation

AUGUST 2022

Inflation Reduction Act Signed Into Law

Last month, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law by President Biden. The large legislative package includes provisions that address a number of policy areas, including health care access and affordability. 

The IMF is especially excited to share that the IRA included a provision that establishes a $2000 out-of-pocket cap on costs for Medicare Part D drugs. This means that Medicare beneficiaries will not have to pay more than $2000 in a calendar year. In 2025, patients who have high prescription drug costs and may hit the $2000 threshold early in the year will be able to distribute those costs throughout the year. This is something that the IMF, and the broader patient advocacy community, has worked towards for a long time and will have a significant positive impact on many Medicare beneficiaries.

Some other policies included in the IRA were provisions that will allow Medicare to negotiate prices on a small number of drugs and the extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax subsidies. 

 

Honoring Our PACT Act Signed Into Law

The IMF is excited to share that on August 10, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 was signed into law by President Biden. As a reminder, the PACT Act expands VA health care to veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxins as a result of their service and are now suffering from conditions, like multiple myeloma, that can be attributed to the exposure. Specifically, the legislation:

  • Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
  • Adds more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures
  • Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
  • Requires the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
  • Helps the VA improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures

If you’re a Veteran or survivor, you can file claims now to apply for PACT Act-related benefits. You can read more about the bill here and what it means for you or a veteran you love here.

Cancer Moonshot Telehealth Funded

On August 18, 2022, the National Cancer Institute announced that it would be awarding $23 million in grant funding to four academic research institutions to establish their Telehealth Research Centers of Excellence (TRACE) initiative that was outlined in the Cancer Moonshot. The research centers that will participate in TRACE will study the impacts of utilizing telehealth—which has seen a big increase in utilization because of the pandemic—in  the delivery of cancer care and health outcomes. 

To read more about this announcement, click here.


 

Want to get involved?

Interested in learning more or taking actions about our federal and/or state priorities? Email the IMF Advocacy Team, [email protected], to find out ways you can help and make your voice heard. Find us on the Twitter and Facebook! We will be sharing the latest news on legislation and policies we are tracking. And follow @Chemoparity for updates on our fight to get oral parity passed at the state and federal levels.

 

We Thank Our Sponsor:

Bristol-Myers Squibb