Statement from Russ Sciandra, NYS Director of Advocacy, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network re: the uninsured in New York State.
“The numbers released today by the U.S. Census Bureau show that New York’s ‘full steam ahead’ approach on New York’s health insurance exchange is the right course of action. Although the overall number of uninsured is down due to increased Medicaid* enrollment, 2,355,000 New Yorkers remain uninsured.
Regional advisory boards have been formed across the state and will be meeting soon to provide input and feedback as various components of the exchange come together. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network will represent the concerns and needs of cancer patients on the panels in Albany and New York City.
The exchange is the mechanism that will allow individuals without employment-based insurance and small businesses to purchase health insurance plans. Today’s news shows that the exchange is vital to providing coverage to New Yorkers who don’t have access to healthcare.”
*The percentage of New Yorkers without health insurance coverage decreased from 15.1 percent in 2010 to 12.2 percent last year. This decrease was due almost entirely to increased utilization of Medicaid. The number of people using Medicaid benefits increased by 600,000 in one year.
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About the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
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 www.fightcancer.org.