Important Message From John Seffrin

Message From John Seffrin

Meaningful health care reform is closer than ever to becoming a reality. Following decades in which the nation’s health care system has fallen further into decline, and after more than a year of debate in Congress, the effort to significantly improve our broken health care system for cancer patients and their families is entering its final stages.

The recent bipartisan health care reform summit at the White House showed that Democrats and Republicans have much to agree on, but the summit also exposed clear differences in what lawmakers from different parties think health reform legislation should look like. The White House has made it clear in recent days that it wants Congress to move forward with a final effort to pass health care reform legislation.

As the leading voice of patients in the debate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network^SM (ACS CAN) has been working with lawmakers from both parties to produce legislation that

1.   Increases the emphasis on disease prevention, such as by reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving cancer screenings,

2.   Guarantees all Americans access to quality, affordable health care, regardless of whether one has a pre-existing condition, and

3.   Emphasizes patients’ quality of life, such as by ensuring access to treatment for pain.

ACS CAN has launched a nationwide petition drive that continues its bipartisan outreach on this important issue. ACS CAN has already collected nearly 50,000 signatures from people across the country who want Congress to pass meaningful reform now, not later. The petition drive will last until mid-March, after which ACS CAN will deliver the petitions to Congress so lawmakers hear the voices of people with cancer who are demanding meaningful reform.

ACS CAN will continue to encourage Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to support meaningful reform. But as a nonpartisan organization, ACS CAN’s primary focus remains on the provisions of legislation that would benefit cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, rather than on the often divisive process for getting a bill passed. ACS CAN’s end goal is to ensure that legislation would meaningfully improve the health care system so that people with cancer will no longer be denied lifesaving treatment, charged far more than they can afford for critical care, or issued an insurance plan that is inadequate to meet their needs.

You can find more information about the campaign on the ACS CAN Web site. As always, thank you for all you do to make our lifesaving work possible.

John R. Seffrin, PhD | Chief Executive Officer

American Cancer Society, Inc. | American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network