Cancer, Coverage, and Crisis: Navigating 2025
- Samantha Flavell
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Recap from the Women Connected for Better Health Live Conversation
[30 Second Overview]:
Policy Meets Personal: The event discussion explored how Medicaid cuts, policy shifts, and healthcare access challenges are personally impacting cancer patients today.
Barriers to Care & Advocacy: Panelists discussed major access issues—from delayed diagnoses due to transportation and cost barriers to the critical role of biomarker testing and patient self-advocacy in navigating complex systems.
Call to Action: With Medicaid work requirements and research funding at risk, attendees were urged to speak up, stay informed, and support equitable policies that ensure timely, affordable, and comprehensive cancer care.
Join the Movement: Free to join on OHCEngage, the Women Connected for Better Health space offers a welcoming entry point into a broader movement for health equity, system change, and community healing.
On May 20, 2025, the Women Connected for Better Health space on OHCEngage hosted a powerful and timely live event titled “Cancer, Coverage, and Crisis: Navigating 2025.”
This vital conversation brought together patients, providers, and policy experts to help break down the rapidly shifting healthcare landscape and what it means for cancer patients today.
Moderated by cancer survivor and advocate Yvonne Oliver, the panel featured three incredible speakers: Deb Collyar, patient advocate and founder of PAIR; Stacy Mathews, a hematology/oncology nurse practitioner; and Dr. Lindsay Sabik, health economist and policy expert.
Health Policy Isn’t Just Politics—It’s Personal
With sweeping proposed cuts to Medicaid and federal research budgets, the stakes for cancer care have never been higher. Dr. Sabik opened with sobering context, explaining that Medicaid now covers one in five Americans and plays a critical role in cancer detection and treatment.
“When states expand Medicaid, we see more cancer screenings, earlier diagnoses, and better access to care,” she shared. But with looming cuts, she warned, “We risk reversing those gains and pushing more people into medical and financial crisis.”
Barriers to Access: More Than Just Insurance
Stacy Mathews offered an on-the-ground perspective as both a provider and cancer survivor. She highlighted how transportation, copays, and even a lack of support networks block patients from timely care.
“Even with insurance, patients are struggling to afford their medications or get to appointments,” she explained.
Mathews stressed that shared decision-making between providers and patients is key, and that providers must “meet patients where they are.”
The Patient Voice: From Cancer Survivor to System Changer
Deb Collyar grounded the conversation in lived experience. “It’s confusing and complicated—it still is,” she said, reflecting on her two breast cancer diagnoses. Through her work with PAIR, she’s built tools to empower patients and push for patient-centered research and care.
“We need to teach patients that it’s okay to ask questions, seek second opinions, and advocate for themselves,” she said.
Collyar also raised concerns over rising costs and limited access to crucial services like biomarker testing. “If patients don’t even know what options exist, they may miss their best treatment the first time around,” she warned.
Call to Action: Advocate, Connect, Engage
All three panelists emphasized that now is the time to speak up, especially as policies affecting coverage and care access are being debated in real time. From sharing personal stories with legislators to supporting local patient navigation efforts, there are many ways to drive change.
This event was hosted within the Women Connected for Better Health space—a trusted place on OHCEngage where women from all backgrounds connect, share stories, and drive solutions related to mental wellness, chronic illness, and maternal health.
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Call to Action: Advocate, Connect, Engage
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