Letter: Bill supports biomarker testing
This letter originally ran in the Lincoln Journal Star.
News
National Blog Features ACS CAN Volunteer Stacy Cook
May 21, 2013
Last month, Stacy Cook stood in front of a U.S. Senate Committee and gave a face to the countless Americans whose lives have been changed by the Affordable Care Act. Now, StacyÈs story has been featured in a prominent national blog, CHIRblo, from the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. The blog focuses on health insurance issues including coverage, markets and the effects of health insurance reform. Stacy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28, treated, and then diagnosed again with breast cancer eight years later, is just one of the millions of Americans who are underinsured or uninsured. According to a study mentioned in the blog post, 30 million people are underinsured, and 80 million people reported skipping care or treatments because of the cost. The blog post describes StacyÈs struggle to pay for her treatment for her second battle with breast cancer, at one point resorting to having to fundraise from her own friends and family. And even with the money she raised, she was only able to pay for and receive three of the six chemotherapy treatments her doctor recommended. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, now Stacy will have access to health care and will not be denied coverage because of her pre-existing condition. The blog post also highlights how some insurance plans might not be as valuable to a customer when a serious disease like cancer strikes, as was the case with the plan that covered Stacy when she was diagnosed the second time. To read the blog post about Stacy visit http://chirblog.org/breast-cancer-patient-had-to-become-a-fundraiser-to-makeup-for-insurance-plan-shortcomings/ To read the original ACS CAN article about StacyÈs testimony visit https://www.fightcancer.org/content/acs-can-volunteer-shares-cancer-story-with-senate-help-committee/