Chair's Welcome

Sincerely, 

Advocacy Days - Registration Deadline is February 1

Registration is currently open for our 15th annual Advocacy Days in Washington, DC! Please join the MRF and other melanoma patients, caregivers and advocates on Capitol Hill as we engage with lawmakers on issues that affect the community. Click here to register before the February 1 deadline! 

Congress Passes Continuing Resolution to Fund Government

On December 20, the U.S. House and Senate passed a second continuing resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations to avert a government shutdown. The bipartisan resolution extends critical federal spending through March 14, 2025, at FY24 funding levels. President Biden officially signed the American Relief Act of 2025 into law on December 21, which included a key extension of expiring telehealth waivers that directly impact the melanoma community. While the originally negotiated package included pharmacy benefit manager reform and the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, neither measure survived debate to scale back the original CR.

Telehealth Update - Flexibilities Extended Through March

As part of the recent bipartisan CR passed by Congress, Medicare telehealth flexibilities have been temporarily extended through March 14, 2025. This provision was set to expire on December 31, 2024 if not included in the year-end funding package. While only a 90-day extension, these flexibilities remain a lifeline for melanoma patients to access the care they need without the geographic and financial burdens of travelling to receive such care. The MRF will continue to work with our coalition partners, Congress and the new administration to ensure telehealth is a viable tool for the melanoma community for years to come.  

MRF Testifies at NJ Senate Committee on Education Hearing for Sunscreen in Schools Bill 

Photo: Kristina Derrick, MD, Saralan Campbell and Erika Tvedten

In December, the MRF’s Saralan Campbell, Advocacy Coordinator, provided testimony in a New Jersey Senate Committee on Education hearing in support of Senate Bill 1548. If passed, the bill would require school districts to adopt policies allowing student use of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing at any school-sponsored function. Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz sponsored the companion bill in the General Assembly.  
 
Senator Shirley Turner, the bill’s sponsor, remarked, “It’s a very commonsense bill. We’ve heard stated multiple, several times now that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. And even though it’s preventable, we’re not doing enough to educate people in regard to the hazards of overexposure to sun without having protection. And this is one way that we can work to beat cancer in our lifetime as it relates to skin cancer.” 

MRF Participates in FDA Hearing on Over-the-Counter Drug Program 

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the MRF’s Director of Advocacy, Kim Wezik, testified on behalf of the melanoma community at the public hearing on recommendations for the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA) Reauthorization at the FDA. Her testimony highlighted our collective goal of partnering with the FDA and Congress to ensure Americans have the tools they need to protect their skin and stay sun safe along with restoring public trust in the use of sunscreen as a cancer prevention tool. In doing so, we hope to advance effective sunscreen policies including alignment with international safety standards for sunscreen testing and approval of a wider range of filters for all types of skin.  

Melanoma Matters Webinar 

In recognition of National Rural Health Day, the MRF hosted a second webinar of our Melanoma Matters: Our Drive for Rural Health Equity Series this past November. Panelists, Claire Heyison from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy and Mark Holmes, PhD from the University of North Carolina’s Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center led a thought-provoking discussion on the insurance cost barrier to melanoma patient care in rural communities. The full recording will soon be made available on the MRF’s YouTube page. You can view our inaugural webinar here. 

State Proclamations

Melanoma Awareness Month is fast approaching and now is the time to request that your governor declare May Melanoma Awareness Month in your state. For more information, reach out to advocacy@melanoma.org.  

Become a Patient/Caregiver Advocate Grant Reviewer!

Since 2019, the MRF has incorporated a patient-centric approach into the grant review process. Submit your application here or email advocacy@melanoma.org with questions about this program or any of our scientific initiatives. Our patient review panel is made up of melanoma patients, caregivers, friends and family, with or without formal scientific training. In addition to ensuring that the melanoma patient’s point of view is critically represented during the grant proposal process, this program also increases the pool of skilled melanoma patient representatives to participate in other scientific advisory committees at cancer centers or various drug development stakeholders such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Department of Defense (DoD), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and partner organizations in the biotech/pharmaceutical field.

In the News:

Senator Cory Booker (NJ) submitted a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf expressing concern over the FDA’s mandate requiring sunscreen manufacturers to test sunscreen on animals despite significant human data supporting the safety of sunscreen products. The MRF agrees with Senator Booker’s stance urging the FDA to prioritize non-animal testing methods to ensure sunscreen safety and has heavily advocated for the United States to align with international safety standards for sunscreen filter approvals. You can read Senator Booker’s press release here. 

Upcoming Events: