COLUMBUS, OHIO – After two years of virtual Cancer Action Days due to the pandemic, cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the state traveled to the Capitol in Columbus yesterday to meet in person with their elected officials. They let their lawmakers know that they can and must do better to prevent and treat cancer.
Advocates asked lawmakers to provide better access to care by passing co-pay accumulator legislation (HB 135). Co-pay assistance does not count toward the patients’ out-of-pocket costs in a co-pay accumulator program. Passing legislation will require that all payments made by patients, directly or on their behalf, count toward their overall out-of-pocket maximum or deductible making cancer treatment more affordable.
Volunteers also asked the lawmakers to pass biomarker testing legislation (HB 608) that will enable more patients to benefit from biomarker testing, an essential step in accessing precision medicine treatments. Dubbed ‘the right treatment, to the right patient, at the right time,’ precision medicine has played a critical role in improving cancer outcomes. These asks would improve access to care and reduce the burden of cancer on Ohioans.
This year, an estimated 73,700 people in Ohio will be diagnosed with cancer and nearly 25,120 in the state are expected to die from the devastating disease. Those gathered at the Capitol yesterday are calling on Ohio lawmakers to change this by taking steps to make the fight against cancer a priority.
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About ACS CAN at 20
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) makes cancer a top priority for policymakers at every level of government. ACS CAN empowers volunteers across the country to make their voices heard to influence evidence-based public policy change that saves lives. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and made workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re more determined than ever to stand together with our volunteers and save more lives from cancer. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.