SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – May 10, 2017 – Approximately 200 cancer survivors, caregivers and their families from across the state traveled to the Illinois State Capitol today and called on the General Assembly to prioritize the nearly 11,000 Illinoisans who will be diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer in 2017.
The visit was part of a Day at the Capitol event hosted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force and Susan G. Komen – Chicago. Cancer advocates came together to urge lawmakers to fully fund the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, which provides screenings and treatment for low-income, uninsured women.
“IBCCP providers have bravely weathered a budget stalemate that now approaches three years, offering the best possible cancer care despite these circumstances,” said Heather Eagleton, Illinois government relations director for ACS CAN. “But even with these efforts, many agencies have cut hours, reduced staff or closed their doors. Many low-income, uninsured women have no other alternative resource for cancer screenings or treatment. For them, this delay is a death sentence.”
In fiscal year 2016, IBCCP agencies served approximately 13,400 women – a 34 percent decrease from the previous fiscal year. State budget inaction caused similar decreases in fiscal years 2014 and 2015, with a 20 percent decrease in the number of patients served and a 25 percent decrease, respectively.
Pam Luechtefeld, from Decatur, is one of the thousands of women who had their cancer diagnosed and treated through IBCCP. She had noticed a lump on her breast but did not get a mammogram for some time, thinking it would cost too much. The local IBCCP agency scheduled a mammogram within four days of her phone call and covered the cost of her cancer treatment.
“If IBCCP didn’t exist, I probably would be dead right now,” Luechtefeld said. “This program is very dear to my heart, and I’ll continue to fight for it. That’s why I’m at the Capitol today and why I’m urging our lawmakers to protect its funding.”
The current health care law offers women greater access to preventive cancer screenings and treatment. But gaps remain for women who continue to be uninsured or underinsured due to affordability, literacy and language-related barriers. IBCCP is often the only resource available for these women, so it’s critical to keep funding in place and help more women detect these cancers early, when they are more treatable. It’s estimated that more than 75,000 Illinois women ages 40-64 remain uninsured and are still eligible for the services offered through IBCCP.
About ACS CAN
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
About the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force
The Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force (the Task Force) is an organization committed to fighting structural racism and promoting health equity for all. Our mission is to save women’s lives by eliminating health disparities, through the lens of breast cancer. We address women’s health holistically with the goal of eliminating inequities in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship for all women. For more information about our navigation services, quality improvement programs or advocacy initiatives, please call us at 312-942-3368 or visit www.chicagobreastcancer.org.
About Susan G. Komen
Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Since its founding in 1982, Komen has funded more than $889 million in research and provided $1.95 billion in funding to screening, education, treatment and psychosocial support programs serving millions of people in more than 30 countries worldwide. Komen was founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at ww5.komen.org/social.