Washington 2024 Legislative Priorities

2024 Washington Legislative Priorities

Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold, new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care. In 2023, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will prioritize legislative and regulatory efforts that provide affordable, adequate access to health care, and ensure adequate appropriations towards cutting-edge cancer research and tobacco control. We will be making the following fact-based policies a priority and ask for your support:

Ensuring Access to Quality Care

• Access to Biomarker Testing: ACS CAN will advocate for improved coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing. Progress in improving cancer outcomes increasingly involves the use of precision medicine, which uses information about a person’s own genes or proteins to prevent, diagnose or treat diseases like cancer. Biomarker testing is an important step to accessing precision medicine which includes targeted therapies that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients, but insurance coverage for biomarker testing is failing to keep pace with innovations and advancements in treatment.

• Fertility Preservation: Some cancer treatments can cause infertility, and as a result, individuals with cancer may choose to preserve their fertility prior to treatment. Failure to preserve fertility is a common regret that may affect survivors’ quality of life. ACS CAN supports legislation that would provide cancer patients with health insurance coverage for fertility preservation consistent with recommended medical guidelines.

Reducing the Toll of Tobacco

• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding:  ACS CAN will work to increase maintain fact-based, statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs at $10.2 million. Maintaining program funding will allow for greater outreach to youth and provide resources for schools, local communities, and health providers to combat big tobacco’s aggressive advertising in Washington.

Cancer Research Funding

• Research Appropriations: ACS CAN will work to protect/increase appropriations to support scientific research on cutting-edge treatments, including fully funding the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund to the statutory maximum.

For more information, contact: WA Government Relations Director Audrey Miller García

[email protected] 360.320.2969

ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, please visit www.fightcancer.org.