An Open Letter to President Obama from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance

This morning the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance sent a letter to President Obama congratulating him on his re-election and outlining some of our policy priorities for his second term. Click here to view a pdf of the letter, or read it below.

November 7, 2012

President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Congratulations on your re-election as President of the United States! The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance looks forward to continuing to work with you and your administration to advance the interests of women with ovarian cancer. We know that your family is familiar with the impact of this disease, which takes the lives of 15,500 American women each year.

As the foremost advocate for ovarian cancer patients, families and those at high risk of developing the disease, the Alliance works closely with federal agencies and the executive office to help serve these women.

The Alliance advocates for policies that help women with ovarian cancer access necessary diagnostic, treatment and palliative services. Affordable insurance and disability benefits are also of great importance to our community. In addition, we advocate for the speedy approval of safe and effective drugs and devices.

As you know, ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer, with fewer than 50 percent of those diagnosed surviving five years. There is no reliable early detection test for this disease, which too often takes a terrible toll, financially and emotionally, on the women who are diagnosed and their families.

The Alliance supports some aspects of the Affordable Care Act, including the patient protections, the tax penalty that makes those protections feasible and the expansion of Medicaid to individuals at 133 percent of the federal poverty line. We call on you to implement these portions of the law with all appropriate speed.

We look forward to working with federal agencies, including those in the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration. These agencies provide vital services through evidence based policies that support women with ovarian cancer.

Congratulations again on your victory this November. We look forward to a productive relationship with your administration as we work together on behalf of women with ovarian cancer and their families.

Sincerely,

Calaneet Balas
Chief Executive Officer