Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill addresses the needs of roughly 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S. by establishing minimum standards of care from diagnosis through the rest of life, covering physical, emotional, and financial challenges that persist long after active treatment ends.
• Medicare would begin paying for personalized cancer care planning and coordination services, including written treatment plans developed by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. These plans must account for cultural and linguistic needs and can be updated when conditions change or cancer recurs.
• Medicaid and CHIP would be required to cover fertility preservation and treatment services for cancer patients whose treatments may cause infertility, including long-term storage of reproductive material for at least 10 to 15 years, with no cost-sharing allowed.
• A new grant program run by the Department of Labor would help cancer survivors stay employed or return to work, providing transportation, childcare, financial assistance during medical leave, and career retraining for those who can no longer do their previous jobs.
• The bill establishes a permanent Office of Cancer Survivorship within the National Cancer Institute to lead research on the long-term effects of cancer treatment and to educate both healthcare providers and survivors on best practices in survivorship care.
• Medicaid would also be required to cover healthcare transition services for childhood and adolescent cancer survivors, including at least two survivorship transition care visits per year based on established clinical guidelines.