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ACS CAN volunteer invited to attend the State of the Union address
February 5, 2019
Jacqueline Beale, the ACS CAN Maryland State Lead Ambassador volunteer, will attend the State of the Union address as the guest of U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, her member of Congress.
Jacqueline, a longtime ACS CAN volunteer who spent the day Tuesday advocating for cancer patients and survivors at ACS CAN’s Maryland Day the Capitol, is a 17-year breast cancer survivor. She is attending the president’s State of the Union to highlight the importance of patient protections in the health care law.
“It is a tremendous honor to be invited to attend the State of the Union address and to be able to use my voice to advocate for the quality, affordable health care that cancer patients and survivors need,” said Jacqueline.
Jacqueline has been fortunate to receive health insurance through her employer, resulting in her cancer treatment and follow-up medical visits being covered. However, she is concerned that changes to the health care law could make her health care unaffordable or lead to her being denied coverage in the future.
“As a breast cancer survivor, I have been labeled with a pre-existing condition. Because of that label, I am very concerned about the availability and cost of health care if the protections for pre-existing conditions are eliminated,” Jacqueline said.
As Congress considers changes to the health care law, it is important that lawmakers maintain the patient protections that many cancer patients depend on.
ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse said, “Patients like Jacqueline Beale rely on access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage in order to diagnose, treat and survive their disease. Preserving patient protections under current law and stabilizing the health insurance markets should be a top priority.”