2021 North Carolina Legislative Priorities

Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care. Lawmakers make many decisions that impact the lives of North Carolinians touched by cancer and their leadership is vital to defeating this disease. In 2021, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will work with the North Carolina General Assembly on legislative and regulatory efforts that address disruption in cancer care and screenings; provide affordable, adequate access to healthcare insurance including Medicaid; as well appropriations funding for lifesaving cancer screening and prevention policies that help people that use tobacco products quit and deter kids from ever using tobacco products. We will be making the following evidence-based policies a priority and ask for your support:

Ensuring Access to Quality Care

• Medicaid Expansion: ACS CAN will advocate for low-income individuals and families to have access to health insurance coverage through state Medicaid programs. We will support policies that preserve funding and access to Medicaid for low-income parents and adults and will advocate for Medicaid expansion in states that have not increased eligibility up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. 

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

• Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN will advocate to maintain funding of $1.6million for North Carolina, the state breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment program for low-income uninsured and underinsured women administered by the North Carolina Department of Health.

Reducing the Toll of Tobacco

• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding:  ACS CAN will work to fund and sustain evidence-based, statewide tobacco use prevention and cessation programs at $17 million.
• Access to Tobacco Cessation: ACS CAN will advocate for all insurance plans, including the state Medicaid program, to provide a comprehensive cessation benefit that covers individual, group, and telephone counseling and all FDA-approved tobacco cessation medications without cost-sharing or other barriers to accessing care.