WASHINGTON, D.C. -- April 19, 2006 -- The following is a statement by Daniel E. Smith, National Vice President of Government Relations for the American Cancer Society, in opposition to the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act (S. 1955). The legislation threatens access to lifesaving mammograms and other cancer prevention and treatment services by all allowing Access to Health Care plans to skirt state consumer protections provided they offer a plan that includes the same protections as any one of the plans offered to state employees in the five most populous states -- California, New York, Illinois, Texas or Florida. Over the past few weeks, the Society’s sister advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM, (ACS CAN), has been vocal about its concerns regarding S. 1955.
“The Society believes that undermining existing patient protections is not compatible with providing affordable, quality health insurance. Therefore, we’re opposed to S. 1955.
“For years, local Society volunteers and staff have worked with state legislators to pass laws that ensure access to critical cancer screenings and treatments. Currently citizens across the U.S. are protected by more than 130 such laws. Passage of S. 1955 would undo all the work that state legislators have done to more effectively prevent, detect and treat cancer. Not only would this legislation wipe out guaranteed access to cancer screenings, it would also remove coverage guarantees for clinical trials, off-label prescription drug use, and smoking cessation services.
“Ensuring access to quality cancer care is critical to winning the fight against cancer. Earlier this year, the Society reported that for first time, the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. decreased. Further progress requires that we expand, not diminish, access to vital cancer screenings, prevention services, and treatments for more Americans.
“We’re working through our sister advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, to make sure the voices of cancer patients are heard. Volunteers across the country are taking action and asking their Senators to oppose S. 1955.
“These efforts will intensify next week, when we’ll begin an ad campaign in print and online that strongly encourages Senators to defeat this bill. The focus of the ads, to run in Washington and in targeted states, will be a woman’s right to a mammogram. Forty-nine states currently require coverage for lifesaving mammograms – coverage that would be put in jeopardy if S. 1955 was signed into law.
“ACS CAN is committed to helping make quality health insurance more affordable and is ready to work with the Senate to achieve this goal, but not at the expense of stripping patients of access to very tools that could save their lives.”
ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan sister advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society. ACS CAN is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major public health problem through voter education and issue campaigns aimed at influencing candidates and lawmakers to support laws and policies that will help people fight cancer. ACS CAN does not endorse candidates and is not a political action committee (PAC). For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Trista Hargrove
Phone: (202) 585-3221
Email: [email protected]