Increasing and Protecting Access to Medicaid

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Research consistently shows people without health insurance are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at later stages, when the disease is harder to treat, more costly and patient outcomes are poorer. Yet Medicaid provides millions of people in America health coverage to get regular check-ups to stay healthy, see a doctor when they are sick, detect diseases like cancer early to give them the best chance of surviving, access medications and treatments they need, and go to the hospital in an emergency. 

We are working to protect and expand access to Medicaid for people impacted by cancer across the country. 

In July of 2025, Congress voted to make the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. As these cuts and related policy changes take effect, we are working at the federal and state levels to elevate the voices of cancer patients and survivors and to protect access to quality, affordable health care.

Additionally, we are working to expand Medicaid in the remaining 10 states that have not increased access to their Medicaid programs. Going to the doctor is much cheaper than going to the emergency room. And, for a family, preventing cancer is much less expensive than treating it. 

We know how to save lives from cancer. Ensuring that low-income working families have access to affordable health insurance – especially during tough times – is an important first step.  

  

Medicaid provides critical, affordable health coverage to millions of children, seniors, people with disabilities, and other low-income individuals and families in America, including countless cancer patients and survivors.

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Share your story of how Medicaid has impacted you

We’re working with lawmakers to protect Medicaid access for people who are eligible and enrolled to make sure they can access cancer prevention services, cancer screening, and cancer treatment if needed. Help put a face to this critical program and share your story.

Latest Updates

October 29, 2026

A federal judge in Boston issued a mixed ruling today in Massachusetts v Oz, a case brought by 25 states and the District of Columbia challenging the Interim Final Rule (IFR) issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implementing Medicaid work requirements.

October 28, 2026
National

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), along with 31 partner organizations, filed an amicus c uriae brief with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in the case of Taylor v. Kennedy .

September 4, 2026
South Dakota

Healthcare is not a luxury, but a necessity. At a time when costs are rising in seemingly all sectors of life, it would be tragic for the access to care we all need to become something that can only be afforded by individuals with high incomes and those who are

July 30, 2026
National

According to a new American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) survey, 90% of cancer patients and survivors say their cancer or their care and treatment required them to miss hours of work, school or volunteering, with nearly one-third of respondents (32%) continuing to experience disruptions into survivorship.

Increasing and Protecting Access to Medicaid Resources

On July 3, 2025, Congress passed the final version of its 2025 budget reconciliation legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network strongly opposed the health changes included in the bill, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would reduce the number of people with health insurance by 10 million people by 2034 through major cuts to Medicaid and changes to Marketplace and other coverage.

Learn how the new HHS interim final rule implementing Medicaid work requirements will impact people with cancer and their caregivers.

ACS CAN submitted comments on CMS' interim final rule implementing community engagement requirements in Medicaid. We expressed serious concerns about how the agency is implementing the medically frail exemption and verification processes, and urged them to change these policies in the final rule.