Welcome to the Men’s Health Policy Center
The Men’s Health Policy Center (MHPC) is a public policy resource tool that enables the reader to better understand legislative and regulatory issues, empowering them to better advocate for the health and well being of men and their families.
The goal of the Men’s Health Policy Center (MHPC) is to improve the lives of every person by providing him or her with the tools necessary to make change. MHPC helps to empower individuals by offering strategies and tools that are helpful in advocating for their issues.
On federal and state levels, MHPC offers information about key legislation and government initiatives, and the impact those initiatives might have on men and their families. As a part of that process, MHPC will periodically host letter-writing campaigns and other action vehicles for individuals to voice their concern about key issues.
MHPC neither endorses nor opposes candidates, specific legislation, or regulatory initiatives.
Key Coalitions and Initiatives
One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC)
One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC), a collaboration of national non-profit organizations representing millions of Americans, delivers a unified message to Congress and the White House on the need for increased cancer-related appropriations at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click here to learn more.
The health reform debate
The health reform debate continues to grow with more patient organizations and other interest groups becoming concerned about what the changes in the health care delivery system might mean for their constituents. Of particular concern to some patient groups is the proposed public insurance plan and the possible loss of state mandates, those state laws and regulations that require insurance companies to include certain benefits if they offer insurance in a state.
There seems to be a growing consensus among Congressional leadership that the public plan, if passed, should only offer those benefits recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This is particularly disturbing to the prostate cancer community as the USPSTF does not recommend prostate cancer screening. This means the probable loss of prostate cancer screening benefits for over 35 million men between the ages of 40 and 64 now living in the 36 states affected by this change. (Another state, Arkansas, has joined the movement, bringing the total to 37 states.)
America’s Leading Prostate Cancer Organizations have expressed concern about this possible loss of hard-won state mandated prostate health benefits. We have also jointly expressed our concern that there is no Office of Men's Health to participate in the agency committees that will offer information and advice to the Administration and the Secretary about the health care needs of the nation.
You can read the letter from America's Leading Prostate Cancer Organizations here.
Read the Men and Families Health Care Act of 2009, HR 2115, here.
For historical reference, you can read the Clinton health bill from 1993, HR 3600, here.
At a Capitol Hill briefing on health reform, a Men’s Health Network question addressed the loss of prostate cancer screening benefits under the health bills proposed in Congress. The answers, from leading health analysts were not encouraging. Click here to watch the responses.
Health Insurance Reform negotiations
Senate and House negotiations continue on what is now referred to as health insurance reform legislation.
The Senate bill, passed on Christmas eve, which we have reformatted for ease of printing, can be found here.
The House bill, passed in November of 2009, also reformatted, can be found here.
The close vote on the House bill can be found here.
Still left out are answers to the concerns about the loss of prostate cancer testing coverage in the states. You can read the message to Congress from America’s prostate cancer organizations here.
Health reform and Medicare
With the potential loss of life-saving screening benefits under the proposed health legislation and the emphasis on eliminating unnecessary procedures and services as a cost-saving move (“cost effectiveness”), concern is growing that some hard fought-for Medicare benefits will be eliminated. Medicare now provides an excellent prostate cancer screening benefit as part of the battery of tests in the Welcome to Medicare Physical. This benefit is in danger of being eliminated as the Administration and Congress look for ways to curtail spending.
Click here to read the Welcome to Medicare Physical prostate cancer screening benefit.
Least Costly Alternative and Medicare – A Victory for Patients
A major victor for victims of prostate cancer and for others who seek the best treatment this country can offer. A patient on Medicare was denied payment of treatment prescribed by her physician and sued in federal court. Medicare invoked Least Costly Alternative as justification for the denial. As explained in the appellate court's decision, under that policy, Medicare provides reimbursement for treatments only up to the price of their “reasonably feasible and medically appropriate” least costly alternatives. She won in federal district court, Medicare appealed the decision, and she won again in the Court of Appeals.
The prostate cancer education and advocacy community called for this change in their Joint Policy Statement in April of 2009
You can read the judgment and decision here. If you are on Medicare please take note of this decision and share it with your health care provider.
Thomas J. Manton Prostate Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Act
- The Manton Act was introduced in December, 2009 and would provide federal funding through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for up to three demonstration projects for both prostate cancer screenings and treatment for low and moderate income men.
- Would be modeled after the Breast and Cervical Cancer programs already in existence at CDC.
The PRIME Act: Prostate Cancer Detection
The Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men’s Education Act (PRIME Act) was reintroduced in March, 2009 and would provide funding to the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for prostate cancer imaging, research and education. Read the bill here.