Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy
Breast cancer remains a pressing public health challenge, affecting countless Americans each year. Early detection and treatment can save lives, yet about 116 women in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer every day this year and stark disparities in care still persist.
Black women in the U.S. face a nearly 40% higher mortality rate than white women. Hispanic women are less likely to receive an early-stage diagnosis. And women in rural areas often struggle to access quality care. Further, there are more than 168,000 women and men in the U.S. living with metastatic breast cancer, also called stage 4.
For too many, affordable, high-quality care remains out of reach, highlighting the urgent need for solutions that address these gaps and improve outcomes for all.
To tackle these challenges head-on, the Susan G. Komen Center for Public Policy formed the groundbreaking Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy.
A cooperative space of breast cancer stakeholders for shared policy development, consensus building, information sharing, and collective advocacy, the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy will drive federal policy changes needed to address the most pressing issues faced by the breast cancer community.
Policy Solutions
The first area of focus is raising awareness and support for the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act.
This legislation aims to reduce financial barriers by requiring private health plans to fully cover the cost of diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging. Unfortunately, when a mammogram reveals an abnormality or an individual is at a higher risk of breast cancer, diagnostic and supplemental imaging is required to determine if the patient needs a biopsy. The high out-of-pocket costs for this imaging deter many individuals from receiving their recommended care. Passage of the ABCD Act will ensure patients do not delay or forego essential imaging.
Another top priority is more accurately capturing the scope and experience of those living with metastatic breast cancer. By working with regulatory and scientific agencies to improve data collection and count every person diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy can better equip policymakers to strengthen treatment access, properly allocate resources and improve health outcomes for individuals living with metastatic breast cancer.
Members of the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy create actionable changes on these priorities through:
- Establishing a unified policy advocacy strategy
- Collaborativly engaging with policymakers
- Creating educational resources
- Organizing strategic events
Coalition Impact
Members of the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy advocate for patient-centered, evidence-based policy solutions to improve breast cancer care. And the need has never been so pressing.
Nearly 320,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and more than 42,000 are expected to die from the disease in the United States in 2025 alone. Access to affordable, timely detection and treatment can:
- Save lives
- Significantly reduce the burden on patients and the health care system
- Reduce overall health care costs and efficiency
Join us today. For more information please contact policy@komen.org.
Steering Committee
Members
Founding Partner
