Statement of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
Washington, D.C. – June 14, 2010 – The Obama administration today released an interim final rule detailing which health care plans will be exempt from certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, had urged that the regulations adopt a narrow definition of so-called “grandfathered plans” so people with cancer and their families have access to the care they need.
A statement from ACS CAN on the rule released today follows:
“This is a strong rule that encourages plans to strengthen benefits for patients and strips them of their ‘grandfather’ status if they choose to reduce benefits or substantially shift costs to patients. In the interests of patients, existing health plans should be allowed to strengthen benefits and continue to operate as they did before the law was signed. If a plan decides to substantially weaken coverage or boost costs, then patients should be given access to the full benefits provided in the law.
“People with cancer or at risk for cancer require coverage of strong preventive services, extensive treatment options, and comprehensive follow-up care. Under this rule, patients who have had adequate coverage will not see their plan change substantially, if at all. Patients with inadequate coverage in plans that lose their grandfather status will benefit from strong new requirements in the law. The rule also strengthens the law’s already strict constraints on annual limits.
“ACS CAN will submit comments in support of changes to the rule that further ensure that quality coverage is affordable for people with cancer and their families, and that health plans provide notice to patients of when their plan is grandfathered and what provisions of the new law the plan has chosen not to adopt.”
ACS CAN, the leading voice of patients in the health care debate, is working to ensure that the Affordable Care Act is implemented as strongly as possible for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. For more information, visit https://www.fightcancer.org/healthcare.
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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Steven Weiss or Alissa Havens
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5711 or (202) 661-5772
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]