The Latest in ASTCT Advocacy: July 2024
3rd Annual ACCESS Initiative Workshop: Access and Outcomes
On July 23-24, 2024, ACCESS leadership, key contributors and industry professionals will convene in Washington, D.C. for the 3rd Annual ACCESS Initiative Workshop. This event will provide a platform to discuss the status of the ACCESS initiative, including ongoing projects and future objectives.
Following the workshop, attendees will participate in the inaugural ACCESS Initiative Advocacy Day. Participants will meet with congressional staffers and members of Congress. They will be advocating on behalf of patient access to care by supporting current legislative efforts. Additionally, ASTCT and NMDP will hold a briefing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, July 25th at 12pm EST in the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing room in the Rayburn Building. The briefing will give an overview of the ACCESS Initiative current projects, give an update on the latest therapies in this space, and advocate for certain legislative asks. If you would like to join us please feel free to stop the briefing on Capitol Hill.
The ACCESS Initiative was formed in 2022 as a collaboration with NMDP to address access and outcome disparities in the hematopoietic cell transplantation and cell therapy ecosystem.
Share Your Patient Access to Care Stories: Support Our Upcoming Advocacy Events
ASTCT is currently seeking stories from our healthcare providers about caring for patients who have faced challenges in accessing care. Your experiences can help support a crucial bill aimed at improving healthcare access for your patients. H.R. 4758, Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act, is currently moving through the legislative process in the House. In order to get the bill passed it needs your support. Stories about patients’ lack of access to care will help Congress to pass this important piece of legislation. If you have any stories you’d like to share, please submit them to us through the Patient Access to Care Stories Submission Form below. We encourage ASTCT members to contribute their stories to highlight the importance of supporting this bill.
Click the button to submit your stories:
**Please Note: We are seeking anecdotal stories from healthcare providers; please abide by all HIPPA laws and regulations.**
HCPCS Code Change Application Submission
The ASTCT submitted six HCPCS code change applications to CMS requesting the agency revise the descriptors of existing CAR-T product Q-codes. Specifically, ASTCT would like CMS to remove the language describing the clinical services of “leukapheresis and dose preparation procedures” (i.e., cell collection and cell processing) from the code descriptors of Q2041, Q2042, Q2053, Q2054, Q2055 and Q2056 since these are separate clinical services that are currently represented by distinct HCPCS Level I CPT codes.
Join ASTCT's Hill Day this September
ASTCT encourages all members to actively engage and explore opportunities for involvement. The upcoming Hill Day is scheduled for September 9-10. ASTCT recognizes the importance of collective action in advancing advocacy goals.
Leading to the ASTCT Hill Day, we will share ways you can lend your voice to our advocacy efforts. Visit the ASTCT website to learn more about the ASTCT Hill Day and how you can participate in our grassroots campaign in September.