Public Policy Resources

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Access to Health Care

ACS CAN advocates for policies that provide access to treatments and services people with cancer need for their care - including those who may be newly diagnosed, in active treatment and cancer survivors.

Access to Health Care Resources:

High Deductible Health Plans Cause Extreme Spikes in Cost

November 3, 2020

Most patients experience spikes in their health care costs around the time of a cancer diagnosis as they pay their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. For patients on high deductible plans, this spike can mean bills due for several thousands of dollars within one month.

Overall Cancer Costs are Rising

November 3, 2020

The U.S. spent approximately $183 billion on cancer-related health care in 2015. This represents a signification portion of the total health care spending in the U.S. And it is expected to keep growing. By 2030 cancer-related health care spending is expected to reach nearly $246 billion.

Insurance Disruptions & the Cost of COVID-19

November 3, 2020

The upheaval to the U.S. economy caused by the pandemic has resulted in many Americans losing their jobs and their employer-provided health insurance. Mid-year coverage disruptions are costly because cancer patients like Franklin who have already met their deductible and maximums near the beginning of the year must pay another deductible and reach their new maximum out-of-pocket amount when they start their new insurance plan.

Some Insurance Plans Come with Higher Patient Costs

November 3, 2020

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped individuals with pre-existing conditions like cancer access comprehensive health insurance and afford their care. But the law is at risk of being dismantled.

Survivor Views: Surprise Billing and Prescription Cost and Coverage Survey Findings Summary

December 4, 2019

This Survivor Views survey examined access to and affordability of cancer care. Survivors report insurance-related barriers to obtaining prescriptions, and lower-income respondents in particular have difficulty affording them.  24% of respondents have received a surprise medical bill, 60% of which were more than $500.

Survivor Views: Pain and Palliative Care Survey Findings Summary

October 29, 2019

This Survivor Views survey examined cancer symptoms and side effects, including pain, and use of palliative/ supportive services. Cancer survivors report many physical and emotional side effects during and after treatment, but use of solutions to address those symptoms is lagging.  Survivors prescribed opioids often encounter barriers to obtaining them.

Comments to CMS Regarding National Coverage Decision for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Panels

June 2, 2019

ACS CAN responded to the reopening of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) coverage decision for NGS testing panels.

The Costs of Cancer

April 11, 2017

This ACS CAN report focuses specifically on the costs of cancer borne by patients in active treatment as well as survivors.  It examines the factors contributing to the cost of cancer care, the type of direct costs patients pay, and the indirect costs associated with cancer.

Cancer Drug Coverage in Health Insurance Marketplace Plans (2014)

March 1, 2014

This analysis examines two issues of particular interest to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and its members: the extent of coverage and cost-sharing for cancer drugs, and whether information on the coverage of cancer drugs can be readily obtained, compared, and understood by patients.

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Prescription Drug Affordability Resources:

Formulary Transparency Helps Cancer Patients

October 6, 2017

For an individual with specific health care needs – like cancer patients and survivors – the drugs covered by a health plan and corresponding cost sharing for each drug is important information when choosing health insurance. However, to make an informed choice, formulary information must be disclosed to the individual.

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Costs and Barriers to Care Resources:

ACS CAN Comments re: Removing Medical Debt from Credit Reports

August 9, 2024

ACS CAN submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau strongly supporting the proposal to prohibit medical debt from appearing on credit reports.

Comments to CMS re: Medical Debt Questions in Medicare Survey

June 24, 2024

Medical Debt and Cancer

May 9, 2024

Medical debt impacts many people with cancer, their caregivers and their families. This factsheet details this impact and explores policy solutions to prevent medical debt and minimize its impact on health, quality of life and financial health.

Survivor Views: Majority of Cancer Patients & Survivors Have or Expect to Have Medical Debt

May 9, 2024

Our latest survey finds that about half of cancer patients and survivors (49%) have incurred medical debt to pay for their cancer care and another 13% expect to incur medical debt as they begin or continue their treatment. Nearly all of those (98%) had health care coverage at the time they accumulated medical debt. This survey also explores the broad health and financial implications of medical debt, how medical debt deepens inequites, and the alarming rate of cancer related medical debt among younger respondents with early diagnoses.

Survivor Views: Preventive Care Coverage, Medical Debt, & Food Insecurity

February 14, 2024

Our latest survey finds that protecting no-cost screenings and preventive care and reducing the burden of medical debt are the most impotant priorities for cancer patients and survivors. This survey also explores the impacts of cancer on food and nutrition insecurity, with impacts felt across income groups and coverage levels.

Impacts of Medical Debt: Findings from a National Survey

October 30, 2023

ACS CAN partnered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and RIP Medical Debt to conduct a national survey on the impacts of medical debt and high health care costs. Read the full results.

Trapped: America's Crippling Medical Debt Crisis

October 30, 2023

ACS CAN teamed up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and RIP Medical Debt to conduct a national survey on the impacts of medical debt and high health care costs. Read a summary of the results.

Short-Term Limited Duration Health Plans Leave Cancer Patients Vulnerable to Extremely High Out-of-Pocket Costs

June 30, 2022

Short-term limited duration (STLD) insurance plans do not provide the kind of comprehensive insurance coverage cancer patients need.  These plans were designed only as temporary coverage and are not subject to the same Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements as other health insurance products on the market.  As a result, an enrollee who was attracted to the plan’s lower premiums may find – if they are diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer – that the plan does not cover all of their necessary cancer treatments.  In these cases, the consumer can be left with catastrophic costs.

Out-of-Pocket Spending Limits Are Crucial for Cancer Patients & Survivors

January 4, 2022

Many patients with complex diseases like cancer find it difficult to afford their treatments – even when they have health insurance.  Current law establishes a limit on what most private insurance plans can require enrollees to pay in out-of-pocket costs.  These limits protect patients from extremely high costs and are essential to any health care system that works for cancer patients and survivors.

 

Medicaid Resources:

ACS CAN Comments re: Request for Information on Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP

April 18, 2022

ACS CAN submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding its 2022 Request for Information on Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP. Our comments address suggested improvements in Medicaid enrollment and eligibility determination, transitions of coverage, national standards for access to care, and the eventual end of the public health emergency and continuous coverage provisions.

ACS CAN Comments re: Oregon Medicaid 1115 Waiver Renewal

April 11, 2022

ACS CAN submitted comments in support of the renewal of Oregon's 1115 Medicaid waiver, including the state's proposal of continuous coverage provisions for children and adults. However, ACS CAN strongly objects to the state's proposal to limit Medicaid coverage of drugs approved through the accelerated approval process, and urges CMS to reject this part of the waiver request.

ACS CAN's comments re: Montana’s Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration

October 15, 2021

ACS CAN Comments re: TN 1115 Medicaid Waiver

September 9, 2021

ACS CAN submitted comments opposing Tennessee's proposal to fund its Medicaid program through a block grant and implement a closed formulary.

Medicaid Section 1115 Research and Demonstration Waivers

January 10, 2020

An increasing number of states are seeking greater flexibility in administering their Medicaid programs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) give states the opportunity to test innovative or alternative approaches to providing health care coverage to their Medicaid populations through Section 1115 Research and Demonstration Waivers (otherwise known as "1115 waivers"). States must demonstrate that their waivers promote the objectives of the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) and CMS must use general criteria to determine whether the objectives of the Medicaid/CHIP programs are met.

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