HENDERSON, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and a member of the bipartisan Senate Cancer Coalition, toured the Comprehensive Care Centers of Nevada, alongside representatives of the American Cancer Society, to meet with staff and learn about the services they provide for patients battling cancer, as well as to discuss the need to protect patients with pre-existing conditions, and the goals of the bipartisan Comprehensive Care Caucus, which Rosen launched earlier this year.
“It is so important that we continue to protect access to care for those with pre-existing conditions,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “The work being done at the Comprehensive Care Centers of Nevada is providing patients with high-quality, effective care. I will continue working to ensure that no one faced with the challenges of diseases, like cancer, is denied access to appropriate medical treatments.”
BACKGROUND: As her first action in the Senate, Senator Rosen joined Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) in introducing a resolution that would authorize Senate Legal Counsel to intervene in Texas v. United States – a pending lawsuit in federal court, on behalf of the U.S. Senate, in order to defend the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and its coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Just last week, the Trump Administration filed a brief in this case calling for the courts to strike down the ACA in its entirety.
Last Congress, then-Congresswoman Rosen introduced the same resolution in the House. Rosen’s House resolution was co-sponsored by the Ranking Members of all House committees of jurisdiction in addition to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. The resolution had nearly 190 co-sponsors by the end of the 115th Congress.
In March, Senator Rosen also helped introduce a resolution that would provide the sense of the Senate that the Justice Department should reverse its policy of refusing to defend the constitutionality of the ACA, including the law’s coverage protections for those with pre-existing conditions, in Texas v. United States.
In June, Rosen introduced the bipartisan Provider Training in Palliative Care Act, which would allow medical providers in the National Health Service Corps to train in palliative care. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has endorsed the bill.
In July, Rosen launched the bipartisan Comprehensive Care Caucus, with co-chairs Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Deb Fischer (R-NE). The purpose of the Comprehensive Care Caucus is to raise the public’s awareness and promote the availability and benefits of palliative care, while also finding bipartisan solutions to expand access to palliative care services, improve coordinated care, and address issues impacting caregivers. The Caucus will work to enhance access to palliative care services and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans managing serious illnesses. Groups that participated in the panel discussion at the launch of the Caucus included the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network/ Patient Quality of Life Coalition, and Nathan Adelson Hospice.
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