Our Legislative Priorities

Michigan Breast Cancer Coalition (MiBCC) is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to persuading lawmakers to do everything possible to end breast cancer.  Breast cancer is a political issue, as it is our lawmakers who decide research funding levels and legislative priorities. We work tirelessly to have trained advocates at the table asking the tough questions on how research dollars are spent to advance research that identifies promising new opportunities, tools, technologies and ideas to end breast cancer.  This includes support for research funding that focuses on preventing the development and metastasis of breast cancer.

But we can’t do it alone.  Our grassroots coalition of trained advocates works to influence legislation, increase research funding, educate the public and advance initiatives nationally, statewide and locally in the fight against breast cancer. We also provide up-to-date, evidenced-based information for breast cancer advocates, survivors, and patients about treatment, diagnosis, and prevention.

In our efforts to influence federal legislation, we are active members and serve on the board of National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) to ensure ongoing funding of breast cancer research, advance quality health care for all, support advocate training through Project LEAD and set the right scientific priorities to achieve significant progress in ending breast cancer. We engage in ongoing communications with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and in the State of Michigan to influence legislation important to fighting breast cancer.

One of our legislative priorities is to increase breast cancer research funding for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (DOD BCRP).  As a result of NBCC’s grassroots advocacy, the DOD BCRP was created in 1992 to eradicate breast cancer by funding innovative, high-impact research through a partnership of scientists and patient advocates. The DOD BCRP is widely viewed as an innovative, unique and efficient medical research model that has proven to be accountable to the public and has produced extraordinary results.

We are also advancing legislation to improve the lives of the more than 168,000 women and men in the United States living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), in which the disease has spread from the breast to bones, lungs, liver or other organs. There is no cure. Designed by NBCC, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act would waive the five-month and two-year waiting periods for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare benefits, respectively, for metastatic breast cancer patients who qualify for SSDI. Based on the limited life expectancy of individuals with metastatic disease, an average of three years, there is no time to wait for these benefits.  We need your help to contact your legislators to ask them to support this legislation.

Our other top legislative priority is to preserve the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program. Congress enacted the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act in 2000 after years of NBCC grassroots lobbying and influence. MiBCC remains committed to ensuring all women and men screened and diagnosed with breast cancer have access to the treatment they need.

In addition to advancing legislation, we influence national breast cancer research by serving as reviewers for the DOD BCRP to bring the patients’ perspectives and sense of urgency for high impact, breakthrough research. We also influence statewide breast cancer research by serving on the University of Michigan Breast Cancer Advocate Advisory Committee, which brings patients and researchers together to develop better study protocols and promote awareness of clinical trials. We affect statewide breast cancer initiatives by participating as a member of Michigan Cancer Coalition to address health disparities.

We invite you to join our grassroots coalition to have a seat at the table and make sure legislators do everything to end breast cancer.  To learn more and add your voice, join our subscriber list on our website and visit us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.