Updates matching "New York"

At the start of the new mayoral administration and the 2026 New York City Council term, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is calling on city leaders to join the fight against cancer by embracing three policy priorities that will help more New Yorkers prevent cancer, detect it early and get connected to care as soon as possible. This starts with expanding access to paid time off for cancer screening, investing in patient navigation services and ending the sale of menthol cigarettes.

As New York State’s 2026 legislative session begins and Governor Hochul prepares to deliver her State of the State address, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is calling on lawmakers to seize both immediate and long-term opportunities to ease the burden of cancer. Advocates are urging state leaders to prioritize affordability and ensure continued progress in the fight against this disease.

Just days after the conclusion of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, cancer patients, survivors and volunteers with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) are celebrating a major victory for public health after Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation eliminating cost-sharing for lung cancer screening, follow-up scans and diagnostic tests.

During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, cancer patients, survivors and volunteers with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in New York are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to take urgent action to reduce the state’s lung cancer burden by signing legislation that will eliminate cost-sharing for lung cancer screening and follow-up tests. As the advocates’ calls reach a fever pitch, new data, published in JAMA , has emerged to indicate that lung cancer screening uptake is low with only 1 in 5 eligible adults in the U.S. getting screened for lung cancer.

Earlier today, a new bill was introduced in the New York City Council to improve New Yorkers’ access to cancer screening. Int. #1369-2025 will require all private employers with a staff of five or more to grant employees paid time off—up to five hours annually—for preventative medical care, including doctor-recommend screening, ensuring that fear of wage or job loss does not serve as a barrier to workers’ ability to prevent, detect and ultimately survive cancer.

“With just days left in the legislative session, the New York State Assembly must not leave Albany without reforming the state’s inadequate Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program--for the second year in a row."

According to a new report released last week by the American Cancer Society, the number of people living with a history of cancer in the United States is estimated at 18.6 million and projected to exceed 22 million by 2035. The new report also revealed that, in New York State, there are over 1.2 million cancer survivors alive today. The findings come at the start of National Cancer Survivors Month, which brought cancer survivors and advocates to the New York State Capitol earlier today to honor the lives touched by cancer and remind state lawmakers of the difference they can make in the fight against the disease.

Earlier today, the New York State Senate voted to remove barriers to lung cancer screening in New York State, passing critical legislation to better equip New Yorkers to detect and treat lung cancer. S2000-A / A1195-A ensures comprehensive insurance coverage for lung cancer screening and eliminates cost sharing for recommended lung cancer screening, follow-up scans and diagnostic tests for asymptomatic individuals by all payers in the state.

This week, New York state leaders released details on the state budget for FY 2025-26 and patient advocates are responding with disappointment over the failure to produce solutions to improve New Yorkers’ access to paid leave and, with it, their financial mobility. The same advocates visited Albany last month for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) annual Cancer Action Day to promote the importance of Senate Bill 172/Assembly Bill 84, the proposal to improve New Yorkers’ access to time off during treatment which now has 73 Assembly co-sponsors and passed the Senate in March.