As the Colorado General Assembly convenes for its 75th regular session on Wednesday, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and its team of advocates is calling on legislators to support several priorities to improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer.
During the 2025 session, advocates plan to work with legislators to sustain funding for lifesaving cancer screening programs and tobacco prevention. ACS CAN is committed to policies that help people who use tobacco products quit and deter children from ever using such products. Additionally, advocates will educate the General Assembly on our goal of extending equitable and adequate access to Medicaid coverage for biomarker testing. In 2024, the legislature passed a bill to ensure more private insurance plans cover needed biomarker testing. Further action is needed to ensure Coloradans covered by Medicaid have similar access.
“Victory in the fight against cancer requires support for existing and bold new public policies,” said R.J. Ours, ACS CAN Colorado Government Relations Director. “Patients, survivors, caregivers, and families are depending on lawmakers to help promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expanding access to new methods of innovative, quality, affordable health care. ACS CAN looks forward to working with Colorado’s leaders in making progress in the fight against cancer in 2025.”
ACS CAN Colorado plans to make the following fact-based policies a priority during the 2025 session:
Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
• Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN will advocate to sustain constitutionally prescribed funding for the state breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment program for low-income uninsured and underinsured women administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment through the Women’s Wellness Connection. Funding for FY 2025-2026 is projected to be $3 million. These funds are derived entirely from the Amendment 35 tobacco excise tax. ACS CAN will remain focused on this line item throughout the appropriations process.
Tobacco Control – Defending Program Appropriations
• Tobacco Education, Prevention and Cessation Program Funding: ACS CAN will work to protect constitutionally and statutorily prescribed funding for fact-based, statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The Colorado Tobacco Control Program is projected to receive $31.3 million in revenue in FY 2025-2026 from the revenue proceeds of the Amendment 35 tobacco tax and the Proposition EE tobacco excise tax.
Ensuring Access to Quality Care
• Access to Biomarker Testing: ACS CAN will educate legislators about the merits of Medicaid coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing. Progress in improving cancer outcomes increasingly involves the use of precision medicine, which uses information about a person’s own genes or proteins to prevent, diagnose or treat diseases like cancer. Biomarker testing is an important step to accessing precision medicine which includes targeted therapies that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients, but insurance coverage for biomarker testing is failing to keep pace with innovations and advancements in treatment.
ACS CAN and its team of volunteer advocates plan to convene at the state capitol on Wednesday, March 12th for Cancer Action Day to meet with lawmakers about supporting the above policies. Lawmakers make many decisions that impact the lives of Coloradans impacted by cancer and their leadership is vital to defeating this disease.
