LANSING, MICH. – Today, nearly 100 cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the state traveled to the Capitol to meet with their elected officials during Cancer Action Day. They told lawmakers that Michigan can and must do better to reduce the toll of tobacco on Michiganders and improve access to cancer care.
Cancer advocates asked lawmakers to provide better access to care by passing copay accumulator adjustment legislation. Passing this legislation will require that all prescription drug payments made by patients, directly or on their behalf, count toward their overall out-of-pocket maximum or deductible, making cancer treatment more affordable.
“I met with Michigan lawmakers to let them know that they need to do something to make it easier for cancer patients and those facing chronic disease to get their medication. Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer was hard enough, but trying to manage my medical expenses made it even harder,” said Stacey Goins, ovarian cancer patient from Greenville, MI. “When my oncologist signed me up for prescription drug copay assistance, I was relieved, thinking that one cost would be covered. I later discovered that my insurance company wasn’t counting the copay assistance payments toward my out-of-pocket max for the year.”
Advocates also met with lawmakers to ask them to support Gov. Whitmer’s budget proposals to reduce tobacco use in Michigan by increasing the cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack and investing an additional $8.9 million annually in programs to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help those already addicted to quit. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Michigan and smoking is responsible for 16,200 deaths per year in the state. A well-funded tobacco cessation and prevention program is essential to provide the support needed to help people quit and to prevent kids and young adults from starting to use tobacco.
An estimated 68,370 Michiganders will be diagnosed with cancer, and 21,580 are expected to die from the devastating disease this year. Nearly 32% of those cancer deaths will be caused by cigarette smoking. Those gathered at the Capitol today are calling on Michigan lawmakers to change this by taking steps to prioritize the fight against cancer by reducing tobacco use and improving access to care for those who hear the words, “You have cancer.”