ACS to NY: Don't Re-debate Federal Law

Statement by Blair Horner, Vice President for Advocacy, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ, regarding the NYS Senate’s failure to pass health benefit exchange legislation.

"The American Cancer Society urges New York lawmakers curb their interest in re-debating federal law and instead focus on what uninsured New Yorkers need most, access to health insurance.

Every year, as many as 10,000 New Yorkers face a diagnosis of cancer without health insurance. 

One-third of cancer survivors report losing health insurance at some point after their diagnosis.  There is a direct relationship between insurance status and individual’s chance of surviving cancer.

While they may be Democrats, Republicans or independents, New York’s cancer patients and their families are united in their fight to survive their disease without financial ruin.  Health benefit exchanges established under federal law offer the best hope of making available to all insurance coverage for the lifesaving medical care they need."

Facts:

• According to the American Cancer Society, 10 percent of those with cancer battle   the disease without health insurance. This legislation can provide the protection from financial ruin, or worse.

• The federal health care reform law requires that states create health benefit exchanges as the way for uninsured Americans and small businesses to purchase affordable, high quality health insurance, States that create health benefit exchanges will receive aid to underwrite the startup costs.

• The NY bill creates a new public authority to be run by a nine member board; the governor is responsible for appointments with two recommendations each from the Senate and Assembly majorities.

• The legislation also gives the exchange powers and authority to rate and certify health plans, enroll New Yorkers in public insurance and administer federal subsidies, giving New Yorkers a seamless and transparent process for obtaining health insurance. 

• New York would join 10 other states that have created health exchanges – California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.  Massachusetts created a health care exchange in 2006 that was the model for the federal health care reform legislation.

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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.