New Report: Missouri Falling Short on Policies to Prevent and Fight Cancer

States Measured by Progress on Tobacco Control, Access to Care and Cancer Prevention

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – August 21, 2014 – Missouri is falling short when it comes to passing policies to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer, according to a new report by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). How Do You Measure up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality evaluates each state’s activity on issues crucial to winning the fight against cancer. The report by ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, finds that Missouri measured up to benchmarks in zero of the 12 measured areas.

“We have the tools to reduce cancer diagnoses and deaths across the country. State legislators have the opportunity to pass laws and policies that have been proven to help people fight cancer by emphasizing prevention, making affordable, quality health care accessible, curbing tobacco use and prioritizing quality of life for patients and their families,” said Stacy Reliford, Missouri government relations director for ACS CAN. “Missed opportunities to pass laws fighting and preventing cancer not only limit the potential for increased state revenues and health savings, but also limit the possibilities for saving countless lives from a disease that will kill an estimated 12,870 Missourians this year.”

How Do You Measure Up? grades states on 12 policy areas: breast and cervical cancer early detection program funding; tanning device restrictions for minors; physical education time requirements; smoke-free laws; tobacco prevention program funding; tobacco tax rates and increases over time; access to tobacco cessation services in Medicaid; increased access to Medicaid; policies to prevent and treat pain; access to palliative care and restrictions on tobacco ratings, or charging tobacco users up to 50 percent higher premiums for health coverage.

A color-coded system classifies how well a state is doing in each issue. Green shows that a state has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short.

How Missouri Measures Up:
Smoke-Free Law Red
Tobacco Tax Increase Red
Tobacco Tax Rates Red
Tobacco Prevention Funding Red
Medicaid Coverage of Tobacco Cessation Yellow
Indoor Tanning Device Restrictions for Minors Red
Physical Education Time Requirements Red
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Funding Red
Effective Pain Policy Yellow
Access to Palliative Care Yellow
Increased Access to Medicaid Red
Restrictions on Tobacco Rating Red

The report also offers a blueprint for effective legislation on matters such as increasing access to palliative care. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for people battling difficult diseases. By treating the whole person, not just the disease, palliative care gives patients more control, helps to take away some of the pain, fear and anxiety that many patients feel after diagnosis, and during treatment and recovery and adds an extra layer of support for patients and their families. ACS CAN will be supporting legislation in the upcoming legislative session to establish a Patient Quality of Life Advisory Committee and provide information to the public about what palliative care is and how to access it.

“As advocates, we have a duty to inform the public about ways to prevent and treat cancer, but our voice is not enough if state and local policymakers don’t take action to fund and implement policies and programs that are proven to work,” Reliford said.

Nationally, the report finds that only one state is measuring up, meaning the state is meeting the benchmark in nine or more legislative priority areas measured. Forty states land in the falling behind category, meeting benchmarks in just four or fewer of the measured issues. Just 10 states fall in the middle category meeting benchmarks in five to nine issue areas.

In 2014, it is estimated that more than 1.6 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and more than 580,000 people will die from the disease. In Missouri this year, an estimated 33,890 will be diagnosed with cancer and another 12,870 will die of the disease.

To view the complete report and details on Missouri’s grades, visit www.fightcancer.org.

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.