Cancer Advocates Demand Medical Debt Protections in Baton Rouge

May 6, 2026 Baton Rouge, La. – Survivors, caregivers and advocates from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) gathered at the Capitol this morning for Cancer Action Day, where they met with lawmakers. Their goal: ease the burden of medical debt for all cancer patients.

Advocates urged lawmakers to support SB 414, legislation aimed at protecting vulnerable patients from some of the most harmful medical debt collection practices that can push Louisianans deeper into financial distress. According to a recent survey, cancer patients are 71% more likely than people without the disease to have bills sent to collections, face tax liens or mortgage foreclosure, and are more than twice as likely to declare bankruptcy.

“Lawmakers have a chance to make a meaningful impact for their constituents amidst rising health care costs,” said Alice Kline, Louisiana government relations director. “Recent polling showed us that medical debt is a present day crisis in Louisiana: nearly 70% of voters reported having current or past medical debt. . The same survey found our residents are looking for solutions: 85% of voters surveyed want Louisiana to pass laws to protect individuals from medical debt. These numbers reflect a popular and timely problem. SB 414 is the solution.”

The cost of cancer has life-long financial ramifications. According to the same survey, 73% of voters reported that they would not be able to afford the $4,000–$13,000 in out-of-pocket costs that insured cancer patients face in their diagnosis year without going into medical debt.

“I made the trip from New Orleans because the impact of medical debt is extremely important to me as someone who knows the cost of cancer,” said Courtney Fournet, leukemia survivor and ACS CAN volunteer. “Cancer forced me to confront how heavy things become when fear is tangled up with financial pressure. Medical debt is not debt we choose, for cancer patients it’s the price tag of surviving.”

In 2026, an estimated 29,870 Louisiana residents will hear the words “you have cancer. They will inevitably face substantial medical costs that continue after active treatment, as survivors frequently need maintenance care, monitoring for disease progression or recurrence and treatment for ongoing side effects or late and long-term effects of their cancer or its treatment. 

Advocates also pressed for support of SB 84, which would eliminate cost sharing for prostate cancer screening for high-risk populations.

“Louisiana has the second highest rate of prostate cancer in the country. We continue to ask lawmakers to pass legislation that will ease the financial burden that so often gets in the way of men getting screened.” Said Kline.