Access to Health Care

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.

Today, ACS CAN released its first "Eye on Cancer Care" piece, which focuses on the dangers of the availability of “junk plans” that fail to provide the protections and health insurance coverage that cancer patients, survivors and those at risk of the disease need.

Lawmakers must turn their focus to long-term solutions. It is imperative that Congress moves swiftly to address two critical issues: ensuring health insurance costs do not spiral out of control for Marketplace plan coverage and passing a full-year budget that provides stability for American families.

Open Enrollment for most of the Health Insurance Marketplaces begins tomorrow, Saturday, November 1, and because Congress still has not extended the enhanced premium tax credits, tens of millions of people, including cancer patients and survivors, are facing significant premium increases.