To support efforts to enact the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act, a number of resources are posted below to help NSGC members become successful advocates in support of this bill.
NSGC will be asking our members to contact their members of Congress, and these documents should be utilized. In order to be strategic, some members will be asked to contact the healthcare staff of your Representative directly, and others will be asked to email the office. The goal is to bring attention to the issue without becoming a nuisance to the congressional staff. Click here to find your members of Congress.
If you are meeting members of Congress in person, please contact advocacy@nsgc.org for additional information.
Support the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act
Medicare beneficiaries face significant barriers in accessing genetic counseling services as the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) do not currently recognize certified genetic counselors (CGC) as healthcare providers. This lack of recognition means CGCs cannot be reimbursed for providing services to Medicare beneficiaries which impedes patients’ access to genetic counseling. Evidence shows that CGCs improve the quality of patients’ healthcare and reduce the costs of genetic services.
A bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to authorize CMS to recognize CGCs as healthcare providers. President Biden’s Cancer Panel, part of the White House Cancer Moonshot Initiative, also released recommendations that align with expanding genetic counseling access to Medicare patients. Learn how you can support this important legislation with the resources linked below.
Use the links below to fill out and customize a letter to send to your U.S. House Representative or Senator, based on your job role/relationship to genetic counselors.
Register for a 2023 virtual Congressional meeting and view resources to use when meeting with your members of Congress.
Help support our efforts on Twitter. Sample tweets are available in the links below.
Video message from Senate co-sponsor, Senator John Barrasso