TALLAHASSEE, Florida – As Florida legislators begin committee meetings for the 2025 session, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) calls on them to prioritize reducing the cancer burden on Floridians. Susan Harbin, Florida government relations director for ACS CAN released the following statement:
“We thank lawmakers for increasing the funding for the Mary Brogan Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection program from $1.8 million to $3 million in 2024 and expect the program to serve more women than ever this year. This program is vital for covering screenings that detect cancer early and increase a patient’s chance of survival. We ask lawmakers to permanently fund this critical program at $3 million in subsequent budgets so that it can continue to serve more eligible Floridians and save lives.
“In addition, we know having health insurance is the top indicator for whether someone survives cancer. Every Floridian should be able to access preventive care and screenings, effective cancer treatment and follow-up scans. However, according to new Census Bureau data, Florida ranks fourth worst in the U.S. for the percentage of people under 65 with health insurance. Many of these Floridians are hardworking people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and do not get health coverage through their jobs. ACS CAN urges lawmakers to explore solutions to close this coverage gap in 2025.”