Access to Health Care

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Every American deserves access to quality, affordable health care. From cancer screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies to the latest breakthroughs in treatment, everyone should have access to the care that could prevent cancer and save their life.  In addition, ensuring that low-income working families have access to affordable health insurance is proven to reduce overall health care costs. 

We are working in every state and in Congress to expand health care options and protect existing laws that help patients get true access to the care they need. 

People without health insurance are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a late stage, when the disease is harder to treat, more costly and more difficult to survive.

Latest Updates

February 26, 2026
Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Senate passed House Bill 300 Thursday, which would help patients better afford breast cancer screenings. HB300 would make sure any state-regulated health insurance plan covers follow-up diagnostic imaging without any cost-sharing, including a deductible. A recent report by the American Cancer

February 26, 2026
Pennsylvania

A coalition of patients, patient advocacy organizations and health care providers today urge Pennsylvania lawmakers to support House Bill 2226 / SB268 , legislation that when passed into law will ensure that patients are getting the full benefit of third party co-pay assistance programs to pay for medications that treat a variety of serious health conditions and improve patients’ survival and quality of life.

February 25, 2026
Oregon

SALEM, Oregon -- Oregon will be the first state in the nation to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for supplemental cervical cancer screenings for residents on state-regulated insurance plans following House passage of Senate Bill 1527 on Tuesday. The vote followed unanimous approval in the Senate and awaits only Gov. Tina Kotek’s

February 12, 2026
Virginia

With crossover day looming, survivor advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) are celebrating the passage of Senate Bill 161/House Bill 625 in their respective chambers. The same advocates gathered at the General Assembly earlier this month for ACS CAN’s annual Cancer Action Day to push for the legislation that would require insurers to offer flat-dollar copay-only plans instead of relying solely on coinsurance, which forces patients to pay a percentage of their medication’s cost. If signed by Governor Spanberger, more Virginians will gain more options and encounter fewer surprises when it comes to the cost of their care.

Access to Health Care Resources

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) believes everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against cancer because of income, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, or where they live. From preventive screening and early detection, through diagnosis and treatment, and into survivorship, there are several factors that influence cancer disparities among different populations across the cancer continuum.

ACS CAN partnered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and RIP Medical Debt to conduct a national survey on the impacts of medical debt and high health care costs. Read the full results.

ACS CAN teamed up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and RIP Medical Debt to conduct a national survey on the impacts of medical debt and high health care costs. Read a summary of the results.