Iowa Cancer Action Center

DES MOINES, Iowa. – As lawmakers dive into the new year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is pursuing legislation that will ease the burden of cancer in Iowa. The latest edition of the ACS CAN’s How Do You Measure Up? report shows that

Iowa continues to fall short when it comes to passing legislation that prevents and reduces suffering and death from cancer. According to the latest edition of How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality, Iowa failed to measure up to policy recommendations in nearly all areas of tobacco control, including cigarette taxes.

The Iowa State Department of Health and Iowa Medicaid Enterprise recently announced that smoking cessation therapies for Iowa Medicaid enrollees will no longer be subject to prior authorization requirements. Beginning May 1, patients will not have to wait for additional insurance approval to access nicotine replacement therapy, such as a patch or gum, or oral smoking cessation medications.