It's my pleasure to be able to share a guest post from Mellany (originally posted on ypchronic.org) describing her first lobby day experience in Boston last month. Mellany is an American Cancer Society Global Scholar from Kenya.
Nearly 100 Massachusetts cancer patients, survivors and their families gathered at the State House Monday to ask legislators to support expanded access to and awareness of palliative care services for those fighting cancer and other serious illnesses.
Shortly, Massachusetts will be home to the second highest cigarette tax in the country. This honor comes after the state legislature passed a $1 increase to the state's cigarette tax last week as part of a larger transportation bill. The increase will bring Massachusetts' tax to $3.51 a pack.
This week, I was invited to speak about the realities of Massachusetts's health care reform at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network's National Forum on the Future of Health Care in Washington, DC. Because our reform serves as the model for the Affordable Care Act, and because our experience is so often misrepresented in the public discourse, I welcomed the opportunity.