Tuesday, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) staged a digital takeover nationwide, including here in Arizona, calling on Congress to protect Medicaid. The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee continued to discuss proposed changes, which include deep cuts to the program. In response, ACS CAN volunteers, including cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers took to social media to show lawmakers, specifically Rep. Juan Ciscomani, how detrimental cuts would be to Arizonans. The social media Day of Action coincided with the nationwide launch of a new ad series, “Cuts Have Consequences.” The ad makes clear that slashing Medicaid will shorten cancer patients’ lives, and advocates in Arizona won’t stand for it.
“As a cancer survivor who depends on Medicaid for ongoing screening, I’m calling on Rep. Juan Ciscomani to vote NO to any cuts to the program,” said Candice Mason, melanoma cancer survivor, and ACS CAN volunteer. “Cuts to this program, in any form, will rip health insurance away from patients and survivors, like me. Having health insurance is one of the best predictors of whether someone survives cancer or not. Even after someone survives cancer, they rely on Medicaid to pay for ongoing treatment and screenings. Our lawmakers should be doing everything they can to help end the cancer burden on Arizonans. Any cuts to Medicaid would undermine the progress we’ve made.”
The Medicaid program is the top health insurance provider in the nation, covering nearly 80 million people. Currently 1 in 10 people with a history of cancer and 1 in 3 children diagnosed with the disease have Medicaid coverage. In Arizona, more than 2 million children and adults benefit from the program, as of March 2025. More than 64,000 beneficiaries were treated for cancer in fiscal year 2024. The cuts being proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives will be devastating. Lives will be lost, and the damage will be felt at rural hospitals and community health centers in our community.
“The voices of cancer patients and survivors in Arizona must be heard loud and clear in this debate,” said Brian Hummell, ACS CAN Arizona Government Relations Director. “The call for savings from Medicaid laid out in the current bill in front of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce committee will force states to cut people and benefits out of the program. This is not only life-threatening to Arizonans, but it also puts our hospital systems, especially rural health systems, at great risk.”
Since January, ACS CAN’s volunteers and cancer advocates have reached out to lawmakers nearly 67,000 times, sent more than 100,000 messages and more than 30,000 petitions urging Congress to vote against any cuts to Medicaid in any form.