New York Cancer Action Center

Earlier today, a coalition of patient advocates, legislative champions, public health leaders and concerned cancer survivors, led by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), came together to applaud the Senate and call on Governor Hochul and Assembly leadership to join the Senate in preserving Medicaid enrollees’ access to biomarker testing.

The one-house budget proposals revealed a clear divide in the Legislature’s approach to the equitable treatment of disease. The New York State Senate flatly rejected the governor’s proposal to roll back Medicaid coverage criteria for biomarker testing, heeding the calls of cancer survivors, patient advocates and public health organizations, like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The Assembly took a more mixed approach accepting parts of the Governor’s proposed language while rejecting others.

Following today’s health-Medicaid budget hearing, more than a dozen cancer survivors and ACS CAN advocates gathered at the New York State Capitol to call on lawmakers to preserve access to biomarker testing, a priority shared by over 100 organizations statewide . Advocates also expressed hope that the one‑house and final budgets will include meaningful investments in cancer prevention and early detection.