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ACS CAN Releases End of Session Priorities

ALBANY, NY – Before the New York State Legislature adjourns for the year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is asking lawmakers to act on two pieces of legislation that will help save lives and provide access to needed care. One bill (S.906-A Sanders/A.2805-A Dinowitz), would assure that if a ... screening test, it should be considered as the next step in the preventive screening process and covered by health insurers with no additional cost sharing. The legislation is currently in Assembly Ways and Means; and the Senate Insurance Committee. The other bill, commonly referred to as ...

Only One State Passed Legislation in 2009 Requiring Insurers to Cover Costs of Colon Cancer Screening

WASHINGTON – March 9, 2010 – Progress towards nationwide, state-mandated coverage of colon cancer screening according to accepted medical guidelines has slowed to a crawl as state legislators await the outcome of the health care ... states without legislation to take a wait and see attitude," said John R. Seffrin, PhD, CEO, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "Gridlock in our nation's capital should not mean that citizens in states like Florida, Arizona and Ohio – and the 15 others with an "F" on the Report Card – can't get the cost of this potentially life-saving test covered." With the addition of Vermont, 22 states and the District of Columbia now require insurance ...

New Report: Cancer Survivors in New York Face High Costs of Care and Debt Years After Treatment

ALBANY , NY – DECEMBER 15, 2022 – The costs of being diagnosed with cancer last long after the diagnosis and initial treatment putting cancer survivors at increased risk for lifelong financial hardship, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The report,  The Costs of Cancer Survivorship , examines several of the long-term expenses cancer survivors face in the years after they ... The report details several policies that should be enacted to help patients and survivors afford their care, including eliminating unexpected cost-sharing for cancer screenings and ensuring payment or financial products offered to patients to pay their medical bills are not predatory. In ...

States Urged to Pass and Defend Patient Protection Laws Requiring Insurers to Cover Costs of Colon Cancer Screening

WASHINGTON – March 1, 2011 – Passage of laws requiring insurance providers to cover the costs of colon cancer screenings has stalled over the past two years and advocates are bracing ... need to move to ensure that everyone who needs colorectal cancer screening has access to it. We know that the prevention or early detection that can result from screening saves lives, and will save health care dollars for the states in the long run.” With the addition of Hawaii in 2010, 23 ... require varying degrees of coverage, with scores of B, C or D, while 17 states score an “F” for failing to mandate any coverage of the cost of colon cancer screening. As of September 23, 2010, all new health plans are required to cover colorectal screening tests as part of the ...

House to Vote on Comprehensive Drug Pricing Legislation, Provisions Include Capping Medicare Patients’ Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. House of Representatives will vote today on a bill intended to bring down patient prescription drug costs. Several of the bill’s numerous provisions ... including establishing an annual cap on Medicare enrollees’ out-of-pocket expenses, allowing some Medicare beneficiaries to spread out high-cost prescription cost-sharing over the course of the year, and expanding Medicare eligibility for low-income subsidies under the program. A ... Cancer Institute (NCI). The following is a statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN): “Today’s vote in the House is an important step towards Congress addressing prescription drug costs for patients, especially for those ...

Advocates to Gov. Ferguson: Cancer Can’t Be Acceptable Outcome of State Budget-cutting Process

... Wash. -– American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network advocates call on Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson to refuse to allow the long-term health of Washington residents to become collateral damage to the state’s current budget crisis. The state’s cancer prevention programs are one of the ... constituents as possible have access to screening for three of the state’s most prevalent forms of cancer. The following statement can be attributed to Audrey Miller Garcia, Government Relations Director for ACS CAN Washington: “The potential for budget cuts to do serious ... and cessation or the Breast, Cervical, and Colon Screening Program will damage Washington families well beyond their bank accounts. The cost will be the health of our children and lives of our loved ones. This is not political posturing. It’s based in data and is not a possibility ...

House Passes Fix for Medicare Cost-Sharing Loophole for Colorectal Cancer Screenings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act unanimously today. This bipartisan legislation would phase out surprise out-of-pocket expenses that can act as a barrier to lifesaving colorectal cancer screenings for Medicare beneficiaries. Colorectal cancer screenings are covered in full under ... health insurance plans as a result of the preventive care provisions of the Affordable Care Act. However, a loophole in Medicare allows for cost-sharing if a polyp is discovered and removed during a screening colonoscopy resulting in Medicare beneficiaries receiving a surprise bill ...

UPDATED: Congress to Address Medicare Cost-Sharing Loophole for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Washington, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation that would ensure surprise out-of-pocket expenses are not a barrier to lifesaving colorectal cancer screenings for seniors on Medicare is expected to be taken up by the House of ... Now Act and is also included in HR 19, the Lower Costs More Cures Act. The Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act would eliminate cost-sharing for seniors on Medicare who are hit with a surprise bill during a routine screening colonoscopy when a polyp is discovered and removed ... procedure, patients wake up to a pricey cost-sharing bill often totaling several hundred dollars. Evidence shows that any cost-sharing can deter people from getting a preventive, and potentially life-saving, screening. Following is a statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of the ...

ACS CAN Applauds Passage of Legislation Updating Maine’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines

... screening in accordance with recent changes to clinical guidelines based on new evidence. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) supported the measure and worked with individuals whose lives have been impacted by cancer across Maine to urge its’ passage.  The following statement can be attributed to Hilary Schneider, Maine director of government relations for ACS CAN: “We know that screening saves lives. Early colorectal cancer usually has no symptoms, with warning signs ... typically only appearing with advanced stages of disease. Therefore, ensuring individuals have access to colorectal cancer screenings without cost sharing is critical to preventing colorectal cancer and reducing the burden of cancer for Mainers. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Davis, ...

ACS CAN Commends Colorado House Passage of Bill to Lower Colorectal Cancer Screening Age to 45

... 27, 2020 - Colorectal cancer is now the fastest growing diagnosed cancer among young women in Colorado and the single biggest cancer killer of men under 50 nationally. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) commends members of the Colorado House of Representatives for taking the opportunity to stem the alarming rise of colorectal cancer incidence ... diagnosed with stage III colon cancer at age 51, following her first colonoscopy. She had catastrophic health insurance but her out-of-pocket cost for her one-year treatment was still around $40,000.   The bill also seeks to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for patients undergoing ...

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