Increased Access to Medicaid

Photograph of a breast exam with a patient and doctor.

Related Priorities

Where you live should not determine whether you live. But, for millions of low-income Americans, the state they live in could determine if they have access to health services, including cancer care. To date, 40 states and the District of Columbia have increased access to their Medicaid programs, providing over 21 million individuals and families access to health care coverage and to lifesaving tests like mammograms, colonoscopies and other cancer screenings.

We are working in the remaining 10 states to reach the day when everyone has access to affordable health care. 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.  And we know how to save money on health care costs. Ensuring that low-income working families have access to affordable health insurance – especially during tough times – is an important first step.  

  

40 states have increased access to health care through Medicaid, helping provide twelve million Americans with access to lifesaving cancer care.

Latest Updates

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It’s time for South Carolina to Act as North Carolina expands Medicaid

November 30, 2023
South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – November 30, 2023 – As North Carolina expands Medicaid December 1, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) calls on South Carolina lawmakers to offer the same benefits to the people of the Palmetto State. “It’s long past time to offer access to critical,

​​​​​​​American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Applauds December 1 as Monumental Day for North Carolina

November 30, 2023
North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – November 30, 2023 – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) recognizes a monumental day for all North Carolinians for which they can take pride and have a sense of relief for the nearly 600,000 people who will now have access to affordable, quality

NC Medicaid Enrollment Information

November 27, 2023
North Carolina

Starting December 1, 2023, you can enroll online at epass.nc.gov or healthcare.gov , in person at your local county DSS office , or by

Veterans Day Marks Time To Honor Alabama Vets and Close the Coverage Gap

November 11, 2023
Alabama

ANNISTON, AL – When I was in college in the 1960s, I studied abroad in Great Britain. While there, I got sick. I walked into their National Health Service, got treated and was sent away healthy. There were no bills or financial hassle. It was a stark contrast to

Increased Access to Medicaid Resources

Comments to CMS re: Medicaid/CHIP Enrollment & Eligibility Streamlining

November 1, 2022

ACS CAN submitted comments strongly supporting several policy changes that will make it easier to apply for, enroll in, and maintain enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP.

ACS CAN Comments re: Request for Information on Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP

April 18, 2022

ACS CAN submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding its 2022 Request for Information on Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP. Our comments address suggested improvements in Medicaid enrollment and eligibility determination, transitions of coverage, national standards for access to care, and the eventual end of the public health emergency and continuous coverage provisions.

ACS CAN Comments re: Oregon Medicaid 1115 Waiver Renewal

April 11, 2022

ACS CAN submitted comments in support of the renewal of Oregon's 1115 Medicaid waiver, including the state's proposal of continuous coverage provisions for children and adults. However, ACS CAN strongly objects to the state's proposal to limit Medicaid coverage of drugs approved through the accelerated approval process, and urges CMS to reject this part of the waiver request.