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2023 South Carolina Legislative Priorities

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will work with the South Carolina General Assembly on legislative and regulatory efforts that provide affordable, adequate access to health insurance including Medicaid, ensure adequate appropriations funding for lifesaving cancer screening programs, and enact prevention policies that help people who use tobacco products quit and deter kids from ever using tobacco products. We will be making the following fact-based policies a priority and ask for your support:

 Ensuring Access to Quality Care

  • Medicaid Expansion: ACS CAN will advocate for low-income individuals and families to have access to health insurance coverage and non-emergent transportation services through the state Medicaid program. We will advocate for Medicaid expansion for South Carolinians at 138% of the federal poverty level.

  • Medication Access: ACS CAN supports legislation that restricts the use of the copay accumulator adjustment programs on prescription drugs.

 Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

  • Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN will advocate to increase funding by $1 million for the Best Chance Network, the state breast and cervical cancer screening program for low-income uninsured and underinsured women.

  • Colorectal Cancer: ACS CAN will work to maintain and increase funding for colorectal cancer screening, treatment, and patient navigation programs. Advocates will be asking for an additional $1 million to support patient navigation and screening.  Additionally, ACS CAN will work to ensure health plans cover colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45 in accordance with updated American Cancer Society and United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines and ensure patients are not charged for colonoscopies that follow a positive stool-based test.

 Reducing the Toll of Tobacco

  • Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding:  ACS CAN will develop a plan to increase tobacco prevention and control funding over the next two years.  The funding will be used to support local coalition work around prevention and cessation objectives.

 Local Control

  • Local governments are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the people in their communities. ACS CAN supports their ability to pass laws that are proven to promote good health, well-being, and equality. Preserving local control is needed to pass innovative and proactive public health policies. ACS CAN works supports each level of government’s ability to implement policies for cleaner, safer, healthier communities. The right of local governments to pass public health policies stronger than state laws must be preserved to continue future advocacy efforts to reduce suffering and death from cancer. 


For more information, contact: Beth Johnson, South Carolina Government Relations Director ACS CAN  

[email protected] / 843-858-2310

ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, please visit www.fightcancer.org.