NABTC Presses for More Funds for NIH and for a Restoration of Funding for the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium

April 22, 2009

President Obama and Congress provided a major boost to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the biomedical researchers who depend on NIH funding by including in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or stimulus package, more than $10 billion for NIH. This funding includes contruction funds for NIH and construction funds for extramural institutions along with money for biomedical research and comparative effectiveness research. Of the $10 billion total, approximately $8.2 billion will be distributed in grants to extramural researchers.

The NABTC applauds this action, which comes after four years of virtually static funding for NIH. During this period of time, research budgets were cut and new projects were slowed or stalled. Although the stimulus (more...)

Posted in Action Items, Advocacy Positions, Brain Tumor Action Week, Brain Tumor Research

NABTC Urges Action to End Medicare Waiting Period; Coalition Fighting for Reform Includes 90 Leading Organizations

April 22, 2009

The North American Brain Tumor Coalition joins 90 other leading health care organizations in seeking the elimination of the Medicare Waiting Period for those receiving Social Security Disability benefits. Under the current Medicare rules, individuals must wait two years after they begin to receive Social Security Disability payments before they may receive health care through Medicare. This policy has been in effect since Medicare was expanded in 1972 to provide benefits to the disabled, and year in and year out the policy denies disabled individuals who desperately need health care the ability to receive that care through Medicare for two long years. Tragically, some disabled Americans die while they are waiting for Medicare benefits.

The NABTC has (more...)

Posted in Action Items, Advocacy Positions, Brain Tumor Action Week

Brain Tumor Care and Cures Act of 2009: An Advocates’ Plan for Enhancing Brain Tumor Treatments

April 22, 2009

The North American Brain Tumor Coalition seeks to advance the Brain Tumor Care and Cures Act, a draft bill that would authorize programs and activities to improve brain tumor treatments. NABTC advocates include individuals with brain tumors, family members and friends of those diagnosed with brain tumors, caregivers, and physicians, nurses, and basic researchers. The experience of these advocates related to brain tumors is broad and deep, and they relied on this experience in drafting the Brain Tumor Care and Cures Act.

The bill includes initiatives that brain tumor advocates believe will accelerate the development of new brain tumor treatments and improve access to care by brain tumor patients. The brain tumor research task is so (more...)

Posted in Action Items, Advocacy Positions, Brain Tumor Action Week, Brain Tumor Research

Brain Tumor Advocacy Packet — An Agenda for Improving Brain Tumor Treatments

April 15, 2009

NABTC members and friends are going to observe Brain Tumor Awareness Month of May 2009 by promoting an aggressive and ambitious agenda for brain tumor research and care.

Advocates are encouraged to contact their elected officials and to ask them to help the brain tumor community advance several important initiatives. The internet and email have transformed your ability to speak to your Senators and Representatives, which means that brain tumor advocates can be as effective at home as they can be in Washington, D.C.

Senators and Representatives generally spend weekends and Congressional recess periods in their home districts and states, which means that there is a ready option of meeting with your elected officials when they are at home. (more...)

Posted in Action Items, Advocacy Positions, Brain Tumor Action Week

Brain Tumor Policy Agenda for 2009: Join Us in Fight for Better Brain Tumor Treatments

April 15, 2009

The North American Brain Tumor Coalition will dedicate its activities during May 2009, Brain Tumor Awareness Month, to Congressional action on the Brain Tumor Policy Agenda for 2009.

The time for action is now to improve brain tumor treatments and given those who are diagnosed with brain tumors a chance of a longer and better life. NABTC proposes concrete policy actions to ensure that brain tumor patients suffer no hurdle in receiving Medicare benefits as well as a range of actions that will intensify and reinvigorate the federal brain tumor research effort.

The Brain Tumor Policy Agenda for 2009 is outlined in brief in the attached document. 2009-brain-tumor-policy-agenda

Posted in Action Items, Advocacy Positions, Brain Tumor Action Week