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Cancer Advocates Send ‘SOS’ to OK Capitol: Save Our Screenings to Save Lives

OKLAHOMA CITY – Cancer survivors, health professionals and students will convene at the Capitol on Monday, April 16, seeking restoration of the state’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Fund and protection for current life-saving programs. Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest type ... help balance the 2018 budget. The Legislature swept any remaining dollars from the Colorectal Cancer Screening Fund, permanently closing it. Low-cost to no-cost cancer screenings save lives – especially for those who avoid the hospital because of dollar signs at a detriment of their health. Colorectal cancer is a disease that can be treated successfully if found early enough or even prevented altogether with the removal of polyps during a colonoscopy. ACS CAN volunteers ...

Courage in Action: Cancer Survivors Unite at State Capitol to Advocate for Change

... wore their “suits and sneakers” to ask lawmakers to make cancer a policy priority. “As a breast cancer survivor, I know the importance of preventing cancer and improving access to care all too well,” said Maggie Powell, cancer survivor and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) volunteer. “In Springfield today, I let our lawmakers know that they must do all they can to reduce the toll of cancer on Illinoisans. ... to support legislation improving access to guideline recommended genetic testing for inherited gene mutations by capping burdensome patient cost-sharing requirements at no more than $50. While the legislation provides coverage for guideline recommended cancer screening based on a ...

New Data Reveals That Gaps in Coverage For Those with Private Insurance Are Major Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening

... marks for colorectal cancer screening laws, according to the 2009 Colorectal Cancer Legislation Report Card.  Issued today by a coalition of 11 leading public health groups and medical professional societies, the report card was released along with new data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN) attributing increasing colorectal cancer screening rates in part to state laws requiring private insurers to cover screenings, and a new ... them from getting a colonoscopy. Of those circumstances, paying for procedure costs not covered by insurance either all or a portion of the full cost of the procedure -- ranked at the top of the list, compared to the inconvenience and possible discomfort and of a colonoscopy, which ranked a ...

Cancer advocacy group to push for better access to colorectal cancer screenings

... – The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network in Rhode Island is beginning the new year by pushing state lawmakers to eliminate cost-sharing for all preventative colorectal cancer screenings for people age 45 and older. Legislation requiring the change passed the R.I. Senate ... off on March 15. Cancer patients, survivors and others are to meet virtually with lawmakers during the event. “The COVID-19 pandemic has many of us thinking about how we can live longer and healthier lives, and ensuring people have affordable access to appropriate cancer screenings is a critical part of living a ...

The Columbian - Letter to the Editor: Remove Barriers to Screening

The following letter to the editor was published in The Columbian regarding ACS CAN's effort to close the colorectal cancer screening loophole for Medicare recipients.   By Jennifer Kampsula Wong, Vancouver Published: April ... great grandmother and two great aunts. Currently Medicare, like private insurance, fully pays for routine colonoscopies for the purpose of screening. But, unlike private insurance, if a polyp is found and removed during the procedure, the colonoscopy is categorized as diagnostic exam, and the Medicare patient must pay a share of the cost. This Medicare loophole can leave patients with a surprise bill up to $300. As an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer ...

New US Preventive Services Task Force Draft Guidelines on Colorectal Cancer Lower Age to Start Screening, Will Save Lives if Finalized

... American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines released in 2018. Since that time, ACS and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) have urged the USPSTF to expedite its review cycle to take into account new scientific evidence that supports starting routine screening at age 45.  The following is a statement from Lisa Lacasse, ACS CAN President: “Research shows rates of colorectal cancer are increasing in young-and middle-aged populations, which spurred ACS to lower its recommended screening age to 45 in 2018. ... with ACA-compliant plans age 45-49 who previously were not eligible to get coverage for colorectal screenings will gain access at no cost. Knowing cost is a major barrier for patients getting screened, this change would help move our mission forward to end suffering and death ...

Governor Phil Scott Proclaims March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

... Phil Scott will proclaim March 2017 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month by issuing a statewide proclamation. Gov. Scott’s support is part of a nationwide movement led by the patient advocacy organizations working towards the goal of all 50 states acknowledging March as Colorectal ... colon cancer, yet more than one in three Americans is not getting screened as recommended The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) applauds Gov. Scott for bringing attention to a disease expected to kill approximately 50,000 people in the United States this year.  ... In Congress, legislation has been filed to ensure those at risk of colon cancer are not avoiding potentially lifesaving screenings due to cost. The Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act (H.R. 1017) aims to close a loophole in Medicare that allows seniors to be charged ...

President 's Budget Increases Funding for Cancer Research; Proposes Tobacco Tax to Fund Health Insurance for Kids

... effort to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases such as cancer. The proposed three percent increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) would begin to restore scarce resources after years of appropriations that have not kept up with the growing costs of medical research. The president 's Precision Medicine Initiative has enormous ... patient. The budget also includes funding for drug monitoring programs, a critical step to ensuring that abuse and misuse of prescription drugs can be addressed in a balanced way that does not harm patient access to medications. The budget proposal once again includes a 94-cent increase in ...

Patient Groups Urge U.S. District Court to Preserve Preventive Services Coverage Requirement

Washington, D.C.—  Patient groups representing millions of people with serious health conditions submitted an amicus brief today urging the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas to ... preserve the requirement that private health insurers cover U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended preventive services without cost sharing as required under the Affordable Care Act.  In September, District Court Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that the process used for ... the care they need in a timely and effective manner. “Numerous research studies have proven the benefits of these services. They ensure people can prevent, detect and treat their conditions as early as possible, improving health outcomes and saving patients and the health care system ...

Reintroducing a Critical Bill During Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death for men and women combined in our country – a fact that’s difficult to accept given that it’s one of a limited number of cancers that can be prevented through screening. Yet, more than 145,600 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2019 and approximately 51,000 will ... screening, putting them at risk for a later-stage diagnosis that can often be more expensive to treat and harder to survive. The same coding and cost issue has already been addressed for those with private insurance. The Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act would make things ...

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