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Access to Health Care Press Releases

January 8, 2025

Advocates Set Sights on Improving Access to Cancer Care, Reducing Burden of Disease for Maryland Patients in 2025

The following is a statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Maryland Government Relations Director Lance Kilpatrick:

“In 2024, Maryland state lawmakers heard from advocates across the disease spectrum and from every corner of the state, who united together to send a resounding message: improve access to lifesaving medication. Though the legislature did not advance the proposal to prohibit the use of copay accumulator adjustment programs, advocates are hopeful that lawmakers won’t miss the same opportunity in 2025.

January 8, 2025

Mother, Daughter Survive Cancer & Send Message to Lawmakers: Reduce the Burden of Cancer in New Jersey

Two years after Ocean City local Jeanmarie Mason’s breast cancer returned and spread to her bones, her daughter Julie Groob also experienced a recurrence of her cervical cancer, bringing the two closer together than ever and uniting them in the fight against cancer. As volunteers with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), Jeanmarie and Julie were among key voices in securing a medical debt relief victory in 2024. The pair are approaching the legislative session in 2025 eager to share their stories and advance critical proposals to limit the burden of disease across the cancer continuum.

January 8, 2025

Patient Navigation Could Help NYC Achieve Goal of Reducing Cancer Deaths by 20% by 2030

The following is a statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) New York City Senior Government Relations Director Michael Davoli:

“Late last year, Mayor Adams laid out a goal of reducing deaths from cancers that can be detected early through routine screening by 20% by 2030. His HealthyNYC initiative might be viewed as overly ambitious but we at ACS CAN believe it is possible to achieve, should city leaders look in the right direction. Patient navigation is that right direction. It is one of the most promising solutions towards achieving this goal, and cancer survivors throughout the city are eager to see it actualized by the Adams administration through an improvement in New Yorkers’ access to patient navigation.

January 7, 2025

Advocates Set Sights on Improving Access to Cancer Prevention & Detection, Reducing Burden of Disease for PA Patients in 2025

The following is a statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Pennsylvania Government Relations Director Donna Greco:

“In 2024, ACS CAN was proud to see the Pennsylvania Legislature mobilize swiftly and in a bipartisan manner to bring the promise of precision medicine to more patients. Beginning in the new year, Act 39 of 2024 will make it so that all patients who can benefit and are insured through a state-regulated health plan will receive coverage for biomarker testing, a game changer in the fight against cancer and an essential step in accessing precision medicine treatments. Pennsylvanians also secured a victory for access to care through Act 42 of 2024, the newly enacted legislation that includes telemedicine as a covered benefit in the Commonwealth.

January 6, 2025

Idaho Lawmakers Must Protect Health Care Access

BOISE, IDAHO – As legislative business convenes in the state Capitol, Idaho lawmakers must prioritize access to health care so that tens of thousands of state residents can continue to lead healthy and happy lives and have the best chance to avoid, detect and defeat cancer.

December 17, 2024

Public Health Groups Applaud Fifth Circuit Ruling to Protect LGBTQ+ Patients from Health Care Discrimination

Public health groups are applauding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for upholding the non-discrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the case of Neese v. Becerra. The court vacated a lower court ruling based on the plaintiffs’ lack of standing in the case, which challenged protections in the ACA for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) patients receiving health care services.