5 Things You Can Do Today To Be A Breast Cancer Advocate

State and federal policies matter a lot in health care. They determine how much you pay for care, the drugs you can take, and the quality of the care you receive. These state and federal policies are especially important for breast cancer patients. They may mean you have to wait months for a new treatment, or you must receive your treatment in a medical facility instead of at home.

Unfortunately, elected officials who represent you at the state and federal level don’t always know that some policies prevent breast cancer patients from getting the care they need, when they need it. Elected officials only know if you tell them. Advocating for yourself and for what’s important to you is one way to effect long-term change and get the policies we need to improve care and save lives.

If you or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer, we urge you to get involved and become a breast cancer advocate. You can do it in 5 easy steps.

1. Act: Contact with your lawmakers directly via email and tell them you support pending legislation that makes it easier for women to get affordable screening and imaging services, requires insurers to cover the cost of oral chemotherapy drugs that can be taken at home, and eliminates wait times for treatments metastatic breast cancer patients need.
2. Learn about Susan G. Komen’s priority issues and policies that, if passed, would immediately remove roadblocks to care and services patients and survivors need.
3. Empower yourself by completing online trainings so you can become an expert advocate.
4. Connect with your legislations. Not sure who represents you in the U.S. House and Senate? No problem. With our connection tool you can find them and access their contact information.
5. Share your story. We want to hear from you! Whether you’ve had breast cancer or know someone who has, we want to know about your experience. We want to know which policy issues are important to you so that Komen can advocate on your behalf and prioritize the issues that matter to the communities we serve.

Don’t assume that your state and federal representatives know what you need. They only know what you tell them and will only act if you ask them to. Please make your voice heard today, so together, we can take better care of breast cancer patients through better state and federal laws.