Last week, Governor Youngkin signed critical legislation improving Virginians’ access to colorectal cancer screening.
House Bill 238 received unanimous support in both the Virginia House and Senate and, last week, Governor Youngkin signed it into law. The bipartisan proposal will ensure coverage, without cost-sharing, for colorectal cancer screening in accordance with the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines, including a follow-up colonoscopy after a positive non-invasive screening test.
“Half of colorectal cancer deaths in the U.S. could be prevented each year if every individual age 45 and older received recommended colorectal cancer screenings. People are often deterred from getting screening because of out-of-pocket expenses associated with recommended services, such as a follow-up colonoscopy, presenting a barrier that inhibits the completion of the colorectal cancer screening process,” said Dr. Bruce Waldholtz, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Board Member. “As a gastroenterologist who has treated what could have been preventable colon cancer cases, I am thankful that Virginia lawmakers acted to approve this legislation ensuring more Virginians the opportunity to prevent and detect colorectal cancer.”
In the Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 report from the American Cancer Society (ACS), researchers revealed a stark increase in colorectal cancer incidence among younger Americans. Data indicate that, in just two decades, colorectal cancer has moved up from being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in people under 50 to first in men and second in women. ACS CAN asserts that the latest report underscores the importance of House Bill 238.
“In 2024, an estimated 3,640 Virginians will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and, by year’s end, we can expect to lose 1,390 neighbors to the preventable disease. The 2024 Cancer Facts & Figures report suggests that an increasing number of Virginians navigating colorectal cancer are younger,” said Brian Donohue, Virginia Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “By enacting House Bill 238, Governor Youngkin has made it so that, in the coming years, fewer Virginians will be diagnosed with and die from colorectal cancer.”
ACS CAN thanks Delegate Delores McQuinn for championing this legislation and looks forward to the impact House Bill 238 will have on cancer prevention and early detection in Virginia.
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. We engage our volunteers across the country to make their voices heard by policymakers at every level of government. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We stand with our volunteers, working to make cancer a top priority for policymakers in cities, states and our nation’s capital. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.
