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March 20, 2018
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death in both men and women in California. Awareness is key because this is a cancer that is treatable, curable, and in many cases, completely preventable. To shine a light on this important health issue, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) sponsored a resolution that was passed by the Assembly on March 19, 2018 declaring March 2018 Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and the resolution is now on its way to the State Senate.
“This year, an estimated 14,400 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the state and sadly 5,300 Californians will die from the devastating disease,” said ACS CAN California State Legislation Director Autumn Ogden-Smith. “Caught early, colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and successfully treated cancers. When colorectal cancers are detected at an early stage, survival is 90 percent.”
According to the United States Preventative Services Task Force, access to appropriate use of colorectal cancer screening tests could reduce death rates of colon cancer up to 66 percent. But only about 39 percent of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an early, more treatable and curable stage. In 2016, only 73 percent of the population in California had received colorectal cancer screening according to the guidelines.
Skipping recommended screenings could mean a patient receives a later-stage colorectal cancer diagnosis that can be more expensive to treat and less likely for the patient to survive. The American Cancer Society has more information on colorectal cancer screenings and prevention on its website.
Colorectal cancer screening is one of the most cost-effective prevention measures in health care, more cost-effective than breast or prostate cancer screening which is why the American Cancer Society is committed to increasing screening rates to 80 percent.
Federal Fix Needed to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rate for Seniors
Half of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented each year if every individual age 50 and older received recommended colorectal cancer screenings. Unfortunately, many seniors on Medicare are deterred from getting screened by cost-sharing loophole. Currently, Medicare fully pays for routine colonoscopies. But if a polyp is found during the routine screening and removed during the procedure the patient must pay a share of the cost, which makes seniors shy away from getting colonoscopies.
“It’s time for federal lawmakers to fix the issue,” said Ogden-Smith. “ACS CAN is urging Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris to help close this loophole by co-sponsoring the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act in the Senate. By correcting this mistake, we could save thousands of lives, reduce suffering and reduce cancer costs in Medicare.”
This unintended loophole, which applies only to seniors on Medicare and not on private insurance, can leave a patient with a surprise bill that could be as much as $300 out of pocket. For seniors on fixed incomes, this amount can be unaffordable. ACS CAN says the loophole was a mistake and needs to be addressed and corrected, not left on the backs of our seniors.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
CONTACT
Steph McCorkle
[email protected]
(916) 802-4033
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