Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to provide for Medicare coverage of comprehensive cancer patient treatment education services.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to: (1) improving the treatment and management of symptoms and side effects associated with cancer and cancer treatment, and (2) evaluating the role of nursing interventions in the amelioration of such symptoms and side effects.
Requires the NIH Director to make nursing intervention research grants for studying cancer symptom management care and services delivered by registered nurses.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into an arrangement under which the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences shall evaluate and report to the Secretary and Congress on the current state of symptom management, patient treatment education, and supportive care given to people with cancer.