2016 Colorado Legislative Priorities

2016 State Legislative Priorities
 

Cancer has become one of the most preventable and increasingly curable life-threatening diseases – but only if we take the steps necessary to prevent it outright, detect it early, and improve access to care. To this end, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in Colorado is working on the following legislative priorities in support of our mission to end cancer as a major health problem.

Ensure Access to Quality Care Via Federal Health Care Reform

• ACS CAN will work throughout 2016 in partnership with the governor’s office, the General Assembly, the insurance commissioner, Connect for Health Colorado - the state health benefit exchange, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance, and consumer health groups to ensure Coloradoans continued access to health care via the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Fight Lung Cancer and Protect Tobacco Control

• ACS CAN will once again be highly engaged in protection of the state Tobacco Education and Prevention Program against budget cuts relative to the funding level the program is currently at for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

Expand Cancer Prevention, Treatment, and Survivorship

• Expand the state cervical cancer screening and treatment program to include low income women beginning at the age of twenty-one.
• ACS CAN will continue work with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and the Department of Health Care Policy & Finance to sustain revenue streams for the Colorado Colorectal Screening Program and the breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment programs.

For More Information, Contact: R.J. Ours, Colorado Government Relations Director, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Great West Division · Office 720.524.5445 · Fax 303.758.7006 · www.fightcancer.org/Colorado

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit fightcancer.org.