WASHINGTON, D.C. -- September 9, 2009 -- “Families affected by cancer will be closely monitoring President Obama’s address to Congress tonight with the hope that it returns the focus of the health care debate to those who would benefit most -- patients.
“Cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones know too well the gaps that exist in the broken ‘sick care’ system, which charges millions of people far more than they can afford for lifesaving care and often denies coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
“Half of people under 65 with a history of cancer have had trouble paying medical bills, according to a recent ACS CAN poll, and more than 1 in 4 have used up all or most of their personal savings as a result. No one should be forced to choose between their life and their life savings.
“At this critical moment in the debate, we must focus on patients rather than politics, on substance rather than rhetoric, and build momentum for meaningful reform that guarantees access to quality, affordable care for all Americans.”
Congressional bills in their current form would provide significant help to patients by:
- Guaranteeing coverage for all Americans, regardless of health status or pre-existing conditions
- Prohibiting insurance companies from charging people more for insurance because of their health status
- Eliminating annual and lifetime dollar limits on benefits and placing limits on patient out-of-pocket costs
- Increasing the emphasis on prevention, with little or no patient costs for cancer screenings
- Fostering patient-centered care that will improve quality of life for people with cancer
ACS CAN is working to ensure that these provisions remain in a final bill, and that coverage is both affordable and adequate for all Americans.
For more on the efforts of ACS CAN around health care reform, log onto www.fightcancer.org/healthcare. For full poll results, log onto www.fightcancer.org/cancerpoll.
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 https://www.fightcancer.org/.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Alissa Havens
Phone: (202) 661-5772
[email protected]
Steve Weiss
Phone: (202) 661-5711
[email protected]
