TOPEKA, Kan. – April 7, 2018 – Today, the Kansas Legislature passed a bill to improve quality of life for patients with serious, long-term illnesses through expanded access to palliative care. Hilary Gee, Kansas government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released the following statement in response:
“Thanks to the Legislature’s work today, Kansans are one step closer to better long-term health. We’d like to thank our lawmakers for prioritizing this issue, especially Senators Barbara Bollier, Laura Kelly and Vicki Schmidt and Representatives Susan Concannon, Dan Hawkins and Monica Murnan.
“Patients who use palliative care services work with a team of doctors to manage the burdensome symptoms and side effects that come with a serious disease. By homing in on a patient’s specific needs and goals, health care providers avoid unnecessary and unwanted treatments, which reduces costs for both patients and hospitals. This type of care has been proven to improve patient satisfaction, boost their quality of life and add a critical layer of support to their care.
“Palliative care is one of the fastest-growing trends in health care, and Kansas can now help lead the way by offering better access to it. We’re grateful to our lawmakers for committing to support patients and families facing life-altering conditions like cancer, and we urge Governor Colyer to promptly sign this bill into law.”
About ACS CAN
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 national 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.