[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5560 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5560
To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve quality of cancer
care and quality of life for patients and survivors by coordinating
development and distribution of information about relieving pain,
symptoms, side effects, and stress; increasing awareness of treatment
and post-treatment health risks for survivors; enhancing research into
symptom management and survivorship; increasing health care
professional education and training; reducing health disparities in
cancer treatment, symptom management, and survivorship care; and
expanding and enhancing cancer registries; and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 17, 2010
Mr. Moore of Kansas (for himself, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Berman, Mr. Cao, Mr.
Clay, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Ms.
Edwards of Maryland, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Ms.
Kilroy, Mr. LoBiondo, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Markey of
Massachusetts, Mr. Meeks of New York, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms.
Richardson, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Spratt, and Ms. Waters) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve quality of cancer
care and quality of life for patients and survivors by coordinating
development and distribution of information about relieving pain,
symptoms, side effects, and stress; increasing awareness of treatment
and post-treatment health risks for survivors; enhancing research into
symptom management and survivorship; increasing health care
professional education and training; reducing health disparities in
cancer treatment, symptom management, and survivorship care; and
expanding and enhancing cancer registries; and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Quality Cancer Care for Life Act of
2010''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING QUALITY OF CANCER CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR
PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 317U. INFORMATION, SUPPORT, AND OUTCOMES MONITORING TO IMPROVE
QUALITY CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND
SURVIVORS.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in this section
referred to as the `Director'), shall improve the quality of cancer
care and quality of life for cancer patients and survivors by expanding
cancer control programs of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
and the National Program of Cancer Registries.
``(b) Coordination of Federal Cancer Care and Survivorship.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall direct the
coordination of appropriate agencies described in paragraph (2)
for the following purposes:
``(A) To develop information and support to States
to--
``(i) incorporate evidence-based, best
practice strategies into Comprehensive Cancer
Control Program activities and services of such
States; and
``(ii) improve systems of care and care
delivery by including promotion of care
supporting quality of life for cancer patients,
survivors, and the family caregivers of such
patients and survivors.
``(B) To develop service delivery efforts with
special emphasis on addressing the particular needs of
childhood and adolescent cancer patients and survivors,
as well as patients and survivors in low-income,
racial, or ethnic minority groups, and other medically
underserved populations.
``(C) To improve the National Program of Cancer
Registries and other existing surveillance systems for
tracking cancer patients and survivors and assessing
their health status and risk for other chronic and
disabling conditions.
``(2) Appropriate agencies.--Appropriate agencies described
in this paragraph include the Office of Cancer Survivorship at
the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of
Nursing Research, and such other appropriate agencies as
determined by the Secretary.
``(c) Improving State and Local Programs To Address Cancer Care and
Survivorship.--In conducting or supporting State and local
comprehensive cancer control programs through the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Secretary shall provide funding and support
to States, localities, and territories to expand and enhance such
programs for the following purposes:
``(1) To include emphasis on quality cancer care and
survivorship, and provide information and support for quality
care initiatives for all cancer patient and survivor
populations including women, children, adolescent, minority,
and other medically underserved populations.
``(2) To develop and strengthen community outreach and
education programs, resources, interventions, and campaigns;
strengthen community information delivery systems to inform
patients, survivors, and family members about quality of life
support and services available to relieve pain, symptoms and
stress; increase awareness of treatment and post-treatment
health risks and challenges; and provide follow-up care
important for survivors. Such programs may--
``(A) create and disseminate easily accessible,
culturally appropriate communication materials and
resources tailored to specific audiences;
``(B) inform patients, survivors, and family
caregivers about particular symptoms, side effects, and
late effects often associated with specific types of
cancer or treatments and the importance of addressing
them as essential elements of quality health care
across the life course, including information on pain,
nausea, fatigue, or other physical symptoms; worry,
stress, or other psychological or emotional symptoms;
lymphedema; cancer-related oral health issues and oral
care; sexual dysfunction; fertility concerns and
fertility preservation options; specific side effects
or late effects that may affect overall health and well
being; survivorship follow up care; and any other
health-related conditions that are known to be
experienced as a result of cancer by patients,
survivors, and their family caregivers across the life
course;
``(C) provide resource and referral information
about other specific issues faced by cancer patients,
survivors, and their families, including financial
concerns, employment rights, medical leave, insurance
coverage, anticipating and managing late effects of
treatment and recurrent disease, advance care planning
(including advance directives, living wills, and
durable powers of attorney), and other care planning
involved in health and medical decision-making; and
``(D) assist patients, survivors, and family
caregivers with information about how to communicate
effectively with health professionals about physical
and psychological symptoms, and limitations or barriers
to normal daily function that may be caused by
treatment of cancer.
``(3) To include special emphasis on addressing the
particular needs of children and adolescent cancer patients and
survivors, as well as patients and survivors in low-income,
racial, or ethnic minority groups, and other medically
underserved populations.
``(d) Cancer Care and Survivorship Demonstration Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall award competitive
grants to States, localities, and not-for-profit organizations
for the purposes of developing, implementing, and evaluating
cancer case management and coordination programs to enhance the
quality of cancer care and quality of life for patients and
survivors and to improve cancer outcomes. Specific emphasis
shall be on addressing relief of symptoms, pain, side effects,
and stress; increasing patient awareness of treatment and post-
treatment health risks; and survivor care.
``(2) Application.--A State, locality, or not-for-profit
organization seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit
to the Director an application (at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Director may require),
including assurances that the State, locality, or entity will--
``(A) serve medically underserved populations
through specific outreach activities and coordinate
culturally competent and appropriate care in accordance
with existing, relevant departmental guidelines; and
``(B) evaluate and disseminate to the public
annually detailed information about program activities.
``(3) Use of funds.--A State, locality, or not-for-profit
entity shall use grant amounts awarded under this subsection to
carry out programs that create partnerships with community
organizations, including health care providers, cancer centers,
hospitals, community health centers, palliative care programs,
psychosocial care programs, hospice programs, home care,
nonprofit organizations, health plans to facilitate access to
integrated care services that support quality of life needs for
patients, survivors, and family caregivers. Such activities
shall include--
``(A) patient navigation and referrals, including
assistance to patients and survivors in finding support
groups;
``(B) interventions for patients, survivors, and
caregivers; pain management; palliative care;
psychosocial care; hospice; or other end of life care
programs;
``(C) general advocacy on behalf of patients,
survivors, and families; and
``(D) an evaluation to identify best practices to
improve the coordination of cancer and survivorship
care services and activities.
``(4) Evaluation and reporting.--The Director shall
evaluate activities funded under this subsection and shall
submit to Congress (and disseminate to the public) reports
related to such evaluation, including findings, outcomes, and
other program information. The first report shall be submitted
not later than January 1, 2013, with updates provided every
three years thereafter.
``(e) Health Care Professional Education and Training Demonstration
Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall award competitive
grants to not-for-profit entities or qualified individuals for
the purpose of training individuals to undertake the quality of
life needs of cancer patients, survivors, and family
caregivers.
``(2) Application.--A not-for-profit entity or qualified
individual seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit
an application to the Director at such time, and in such
manner, and containing such information as the Director may
require, including assurances that the entity or individual
will--
``(A) improve health professional communication
skills in caring for patients and survivors to more
effectively assess and address their quality of life or
survivorship concerns;
``(B) assess and relieve pain, symptoms, side
effects, and stress associated with cancer and its
treatment;
``(C) promote care planning to align treatment with
patient and family goals;
``(D) anticipate and communicate about cancer
treatment and post-treatment health risks and follow-up
care;
``(E) provide palliative, psychosocial, or other
care to support quality of life integrated as part of
disease-directed treatment to improve quality of cancer
care;
``(F) promote use of survivorship care planning;
``(G) improve cultural sensitivity, communication,
and patient care for minority and medically underserved
populations, including addressing the particular needs
of children, adolescents, and their families; racial
and ethnic groups, and other medically underserved
cancer patient and survivor populations; and
``(H) collect and analyze data related to the
effectiveness of education and training efforts.
``(3) Use of funds.--An eligible entity shall use grant
amounts awarded under this subsection to train and develop
individuals with skills needed to assist the quality of life
needs of cancer patients, survivors, and family caregivers by
addressing symptoms, pain, side effects, stress, treatment, and
post-treatment health risks and train individuals to assist in
arranging follow-up care across the life course.
``(4) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall develop and
implement a plan for evaluating the effects of professional
training programs funded through this subsection.
``(5) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the
term `qualified individual' means a physician, nurse, social
worker, chaplain, psychologist, or other individual who is
involved in providing palliative care and symptom management
services to cancer patients.
``(f) Quality of Life Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish
a Quality of Life Advisory Committee (in this subsection
referred to as the `advisory committee') to advise, coordinate,
and assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
creating and conducting the cancer quality of life and
survivorship activities, program enhancements, and training
initiatives specified in subsections (a) through (e).
``(2) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint to the
advisory committee such members as the Secretary considers
necessary, and shall include individuals and representatives of
public and private organizations with expertise in cancer
treatment and care; pain, symptom, and stress management; and
cancer survivorship.
``(3) Duties.--The advisory committee shall meet at least
once a year and shall--
``(A) consider and summarize recent advances
achieved in cancer symptom management and survivorship
research relevant to the goals of this section and
identify gaps in basic, clinical, behavioral, or other
research required to achieve further improvements in
care to support quality of life and survivorship; and
``(B) annually submit to the Secretary a report on
the findings described in subparagraph (A) with
recommendations about additional research needed to
improve care for cancer patients, survivors, and
families that will support quality of life and
survivorship.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary.''.
SEC. 3. ENHANCING RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF QUALITY OF LIFE, AND CANCER
SURVIVORSHIP.
Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 409K. QUALITY CANCER CARE AND CANCER SURVIVORSHIP RESEARCH.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institutes of
Health shall, in coordination with recommendations of the Quality of
Life Advisory Committee established under section 317U(f), undertake
additional cancer quality of life and survivorship research that
addresses pain, symptom management, side effects and late effects, and
psychosocial factors to improve cancer clinical communication and care
planning, treatment and post-treatment, and follow-up care across the
life course.
``(b) Authorized Research.--Research supported under this section
may include at least the following:
``(1) Examination of evidence-based practices relating to
cancer care, survivorship, and follow-up care including
comparing community-based public health interventions.
``(2) Analysis of the translation of cancer interventions
from academic settings to real world settings.
``(3) Lifestyle, behavioral, and other research on the
impact of cancer treatment and survivorship.
``(4) Formative research to assist with the development of
educational messages and information, for dissemination to
targeted populations such as children, adolescents, racial and
ethnic minority groups, and other medically underserved groups,
on the residual effects of cancer treatment.
``(5) Health disparities in cancer survivorship outcomes
within minority or other medically underserved populations.
``(6) Intervention research to prevent or treat the post-
treatment effects of cancer treatment.
``(7) Identification of the unique needs of patients who
are diagnosed with rare or deadly cancers or cancers that have
not been well studied.
``(8) Development of a consistent, standardized model of
service delivery for cancer-related follow-up care across
cancer centers and community oncology practices.
``(9) Development, testing, and communication of messages
for patients, survivors, and health professionals that will
improve understanding, demand for, and delivery of care to
relieve pain, symptoms, stress, and other quality of life
factors associated with serious illnesses such as cancer.
``(c) Funding.--Such funds as necessary to accomplish the
requirements of subsection (a) shall be available from funds reserved
under section 402A(c)(1) for the Common Fund or otherwise available for
such initiatives.''.
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