Letter: Bill supports biomarker testing
This letter originally ran in the Lincoln Journal Star.
News
ACS CAN Expert and Volunteer Testify on Mini-MedÈ Plans on Capitol Hill
December 1, 2010
At a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday, Stephen Finan, senior director of policy for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and Eugene Melville, a California resident and ACS CAN volunteer, testified about the inadequacy of limited-benefit insurance plans, otherwise known as mini-med plans, for cancer patients. As part of an expert panel, Finan testified that while the Affordable Care Act has made major strides in educating and empowering the consumer, there are still plans available on the market that leave people fighting a chronic disease like cancer extremely vulnerable and unaware that the insurance product they purchased is woefully inadequate. Melville, who called the American Cancer SocietyÈs Health Insurance Assistance Service (HIAS) at the National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) in Austin, Texas for help when he discovered his limited-benefit plan would not cover his treatment for an oral cancer diagnosis, also testified. His testimony focused on the financial burden and barriers to access he has faced as a result of his bare bones health plan. The hearing was televised live on C-SPAN. An archived video of the hearing can be found on their website. View the press release for more information and a link to FinanÈs full testimony.