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At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society received the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award for advancing critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. The Iowa Oncology Society and Washington State Medical Oncology Society were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the meeting, receiving second place awards.
Effective state-level advocacy plays a critical role in shaping policies that directly affect how patients access cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship services. While national advocacy efforts help establish broad priorities, state oncology societies are uniquely positioned to work with lawmakers, regulators, physicians, and patient advocates to address barriers to care within their broader communities.
At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society (LOS) was presented with the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award in recognition of the society’s collaboration with ASCO to advance critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. Selected from among 43 state oncology societies nationwide, this award celebrates excellence in advocacy and commemorates the legacy of Dr. Jeffrey C. Ward, who was instrumental in founding the State Affiliate Council.
Among the important work of LOS in 2025, its engagement with the ASCO Advocacy Summit, joining multiple sign-on letters, and spearheading the passage of Senate Bill 182—which allows states to suspend Medicaid prior authorization requirements during declared states of emergency—were key determinants in its receipt of the award.
LOS has continued its pursuit of strengthening its leadership in patient-centered oncology policy throughout 2026. To date, several bills have been approved by Louisiana’s Legislature that directly improve access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship services.
Oral chemotherapy parity protections were significantly strengthened by the passage of House Bill 766, which prohibits insurers from imposing more restrictive cost-sharing or utilization management requirements on orally administered chemotherapies than on infused or injected treatments. In addition, lawmakers worked to strengthen precision medicine and biomarker testing access by improving implementation of Louisiana’s existing biomarker testing law. Legislation and study resolutions approved during the session are intended to reduce inappropriate denials and ensure patients receive evidence-based testing.
Of note, cancer screening and supportive care received significant bipartisan support—particularly through the expansion of access to screening for prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and various cancers among firefighters. Movement on these issues has been motivated largely by the growing recognition that early detection and supportive care services significantly improve treatment outcomes and reduce barriers to treatment.
The 2026 session reflects years of collaboration among legislators, physicians, patient advocates, and healthcare organizations. Louisiana continues to serve as a model for advancing comprehensive cancer policy through practical, bipartisan legislation.
The Iowa Oncology Society (IOS) and Washington State Medical Oncology Society (WSMOS) were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the recent ASCO Annual Meeting, receiving second place awards.
IOS was recognized for its dedication and engagement in meeting with state representatives to discuss key barriers to cancer care, participating in the ASCO Advocacy Summit, and leveraging the ASCO ACT Network to engage with members on state legislation. In addition, the society supported state legislation—later signed into law—that streamlines prior authorization requirements, bans copay accumulator programs, and reforms certain pharmacy benefit manager practices.
Building on its work the previous year, IOS has driven a consequential legislative session thus far in 2026, particularly through the enacting of House File 2635. This reform strengthens the oversight of prior authorization decisions, improves transparency, establishes new timelines, and limits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical necessity determinations. One of the first states to establish clear guardrails around the use of AI in prior authorization, this law reinforces that clinical determinations affecting patient care must rely on physician judgment rather than automated systems alone.
The 2026 session reflects Iowa's commitment to modernizing insurance regulation while balancing innovation with patient protections. Although relatively few oncology-specific bills were introduced, lawmakers approved sweeping reforms that directly affect oncology providers and patients by improving utilization management processes and strengthening physician oversight of medical necessity determinations.
WSMOS demonstrated a continued commitment to oncology providers and patients in 2025 by joining multiple sign-on letters with ASCO regarding prior authorization, fertility preservation, and white bagging. The society also expanded its reach by sending leaders to Washington, DC for the ASCO Advocacy Summit and hosting an ASCO speaker to align and collaborate on regional policy objectives. WSMOS also made it a priority in 2025 to engage on regulatory front issues regarding drug pricing and improving coverage for biomarker testing.
The achievements highlighted by LOS, IOS, and WSMOS demonstrate the powerful role that state oncology societies play in advancing patient-centered cancer care. Through sustained advocacy, collaboration, and engagement with policymakers, these societies have helped enact meaningful reforms that improve access to treatment, reduce administrative barriers, and strengthen patient protections.
Their successes serve as a reminder that effective advocacy does not happen overnight. Rather, it is the result of long-term partnerships, persistence, and a shared commitment to equitable, high-quality cancer care. As the oncology landscape evolves, state societies will remain essential voices in shaping policies that help patients, providers, and communities meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
