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Advocates Look to Governor Hochul to Address Affordability Concerns across Cancer Continuum in 2025-26 Executive Budget

Ahead of her Executive Budget address, cancer community urges governor to ensure access to early detection, patient navigation and paid family and medical leave

January 16, 2025

The following is a statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) New York Senior Government Relations Director Michael Davoli:

“Coming off Governor Hochul’s State of the State address earlier this week, where access to and the costs of health care were sparingly mentioned, patient advocates are hopeful that the governor prioritizes health care affordability in her executive budget proposal for FY 2025-26.  

“Concerns around the cost of living pervade everyday life for most New Yorkers. For those with cancer, the financial weight of everyday decisions can be crushing. New Yorkers are looking for state leaders to intervene and prevent the costs of care from trending upward and potentially trapping them in a lifetime of medical debt. Commitments to increase affordability are needed by patients across the care continuum, starting with policies that limit the cost burden for patients before they even receive a diagnosis.

 

Preventing Cancer

“We can break the cycle of tobacco addiction and curb youth uptake in New York which will, in turn prevent more people from being diagnosed with cancer and save millions on health care costs, but we need a strong, sustained commitment to increase funding for the New York State Tobacco Control Program (TCP). Due to high rates of youth tobacco use in recent years, largely due to skyrocketing rates of e-cigarette use, the decades of progress that has been made in reducing tobacco use rates in youth is now in jeopardy. A well-funded, fact-based tobacco control program is needed to counteract the $162.6 million per year that tobacco companies are spending on marketing their deadly and addictive products in New York. As Big Tobacco has been working hard to addict future generations with e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, the need for funding for tobacco prevention programs has never been greater.

“Overall, for every $1 spent on comprehensive tobacco control programs, states receive up to $55 in savings from averted tobacco-related health care costs. Last year in New York, the final budget produced a cut in funding for the TCP by $7.5 million, reducing the total budget to $39.158 million. Advocates are urging Governor Hochul to restore the cut in funding and set the total budget at $46.658 so that young New Yorkers are less likely to begin smoking, adults are empowered to quit and the risk of disease is reduced across the state. Doing so will save lives and save millions of dollars for patients and the state.

 

Detecting Cancer Early

“In addition to contributing to better survival rates, early-stage diagnoses carry less out-of-pocket costs while patients diagnosed at advanced stages face more daunting physical and financial realities. A new report by ACS CAN found that the elimination of out-of-pocket cost-sharing for breast cancer screening follow-up tests could prevent more than 7,500 later-stage diagnoses among commercially insured patients and ultimately save the U.S. an estimated $2.2 billion in lifetime breast cancer treatment costs. In New York, the statewide Cancer Services Program (CSP) helps ensure that under- and un-insured residents can gain access to breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening without paying exorbitant fees. Patient advocates are urging lawmakers to restore last year’s cuts to the CSP by investing $22.325 million into the program.

“Patients advocates are also looking to ensure that New Yorkers do not come up against financial barriers to lung cancer screening, delaying their opportunity to be diagnosed early. Every year, around 14,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with lung cancer, and the five-year lung cancer survival rate in New York is only 32.1%. Fortunately, the ability to detect lung cancer early can have a dramatic effect on survival, but out-of-pocket expenses pose a barrier to screening for many and less than 20% of New Yorkers at high risk for lung cancer were screened in 2024. Cancer survivors and advocates with ACS CAN are hopeful that state leaders revive conversations around legislation to eliminate cost-sharing for lung cancer screenings and follow-up tests and fund efforts to get more people screened.

“Another key resource that has proven invaluable in improving screening uptake is patient navigation—though the benefits of patient navigation don’t stop with screening. At its heart, patient navigation is a patient-focused and community-centered approach to care that helps ensure patients don’t fall through the cracks. It is revolutionizing how we detect and treat cancer. ACS CAN has formally asked Governor Hochul to shepherd in a new era of health care access in New York and be on the forefront among states to improve access to patient navigation by investing state funds in patient navigation programs across the state. An investment in community-based patient navigation services in New York State could ensure better patient outcomes and reduce its long-term health care costs.

 

Alleviating the Burden of Cancer

“In 2024, lawmakers heard from advocates across the disease spectrum and from every corner of the state, who united together to send a resounding message: expand access to paid family and medical leave by improving New York’s Temporary Disability (TDI) program. This year, advocates are hopeful that state leaders will come together to alleviate the burden of disease by passing legislation to provide New York workers with increased job protection, a continuation of income and full intermittent leave through the TDI program. We can no longer force New Yorkers with disease to pick between their health and the ability to put food on their table or keep a roof over their head.

“Nearly 123,000 New Yorkers heard the words, ‘you have cancer’ last year. A new year and a new budget bring new priorities for the cancer community and a renewed commitment across the continuum to continue the work left undone. In 2025, ACS CAN hopes that Governor Hochul and state lawmakers will take important steps toward ensuring that a cancer diagnosis neither defines anyone in New York nor strips them of their financial mobility in this state.”

 

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About ACS CAN

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. We engage our volunteers across the country to make their voices heard by policymakers at every level of government. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We stand with our volunteers, working to make cancer a top priority for policymakers in cities, states and our nation’s capital. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.

Media Contacts

Casey O'Neill
Sr. Regional Media Advocacy Manager