Ensuring Access to Quality Care

Medicaid Defense: The preservation of eligibility, coverage, and access to Medicaid remains critically important for many low-income state residents who depend on the program for cancer and chronic disease prevention, as well as early detection, diagnostic, and treatment services. ACS CAN will work to ensure Medicaid enrollees have adequate access and coverage and will oppose proposals that create barriers or reduce access to care for cancer patients, survivors, and those who could be diagnosed with cancer. 

Access to Biomarker Testing: ACS CAN will advocate for improved coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing. Progress in improving cancer outcomes increasingly involves the use of precision medicine, which uses information about a person’s own genes or proteins to better diagnose and treat diseases like cancer. Biomarker testing is an important step to accessing precision medicine which includes targeted therapies that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients, but insurance coverage for biomarker testing is failing to keep pace with innovations and advancements in testing and treatment. Washington is falling behind. Twenty-two states – including California, Arizona, Louisiana, New York, Texas and Minnesota have enacted similar legislation to expand coverage of biomarker testing across disease types with strong bipartisan support.  

Affordable, Adequate Health Insurance –Protecting Cascade Care: Washington's Cascade Care program offers patients a vital alternative to health plans that feature high out-of-pocket costs and limited coverage. For those battling cancer, financial concerns should not be added to the stress of treatment. The Cascade Care program provides more comprehensive plans with lower financial barriers, ensuring patients can access the critical services they need for their recovery. 

Reduce Patient Medical Debt: Nearly half (47%) of cancer patients and survivors we’ve surveyed have had medical debt related to their cancer. The health implications are significant: those with cancer-related medical debt are three times more likely to be behind on recommended cancer screening. ACS CAN will support efforts to reduce the burden of medical debt on patients and their families.  

Fertility Preservation: Some cancer treatments can cause infertility, and as a result, individuals with cancer may choose to preserve their fertility prior to treatment. Failure to preserve fertility is a common regret that may affect survivors’ quality of life. ACS CAN supports legislation that would provide cancer patients with health insurance coverage for fertility preservation consistent with recommended medical guidelines.