Getting a colonoscopy is no one's favorite activity. Yet, I am reminded just how important getting a routine colonoscopy is when I see that colon cancer will kill an estimated 50,000 people in the U.S. this year.
I was surprised by a CDC study I saw this week that found that in 2012 nearly 28 percent of U.S. adults had not received recommended colorectal cancer screenings. This is a scary statistic considering colon cancer is an easily preventable disease through the removal of precancerous polyps, which are detectable only through routine screening.
Unfortunately, for most of you the answer to the question above is not well. According to a new edition of the ACS CAN report How Do You Measure Up? released today, many state legislatures are missing opportunities to enact laws and policies that could not only generate new revenue and long-term health savings, but also save lives.
Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. represents the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey
A new edition of the ACS CAN report How Do You Measure Up? shows that the majority of states are not measuring up on legislative solutions to prevent and fight cancer. The report ranks where states stand on these issues that play a critical role in reducing cancer incidence and death. It measures seven specific issues.
I've shared my story with many people friends, family, fellow advocates but last week's event in Washington, D.C. was an experience I will never forget.
Imagine that you dropped your car off at a service station for what you thought was a free oil change. You return an hour later to be informed that while the service was underway a small problem was found and repaired (with no input from you), and you now owe $250. How would you take this news? This is the predicament that a number of people face every day due to an oversight in existing Medicare regulations.