WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 24, 2009 – “Cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones are one step closer to a remedy for our nation’s ‘sick care’ system after the Senate today passed comprehensive health reform legislation.
“The legislation includes a number of strong provisions that would significantly improve the health care system for cancer patients by refocusing the system to emphasize prevention; guaranteeing quality, affordable coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions; reducing the cost burden on families; eliminating lifetime coverage limits; covering routine health costs for those who enroll in clinical trials; and emphasizing patients’ quality of life.
“As the leading voice of patients in the debate, ACS CAN raised concerns about the negative impact of annual benefit limits on many cancer patients, and those concerns were heard. The Senate bill immediately assures annual limits will be sufficient to cover essential benefits for all patients and completely bans annual coverage limits after 2014, ensuring that cancer patients and their families will no longer have to choose been lifesaving care and their lifesavings.
“ACS CAN is asking lawmakers to improve the bill even further in conference by making quality coverage more affordable for low- and middle-income families and providing uninsured people in dire need of care immediate access to high-risk plans.
“Families affected by cancer are depending on their elected officials to keep health reform a top priority in the New Year and work in conference to achieve the best possible product for people with cancer and other life-threatening chronic diseases.”
For more information about ACS CAN’s efforts in support of health care reform, visit https://www.fightcancer.org.
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.
###