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JACKSON, MS - Medicaid continues to be a central topic of discussion among public health advocates, hospital and health systems administrators, faith leaders, community leaders, and state lawmakers. This year alone, 18,250 Mississippians will hear the words “you have cancer.” We must do all we can to expand access to care to save lives and reduce the burden of cancer on our state.
This week, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) launched a series of videos featuring Mississippi faith leaders who showcase the ongoing divide among their congregations and communities primarily due to long-standing barriers to health insurance coverage.
"Health care is a right that every citizen of Mississippi and the United States should have,” said Ronnie Crudup, a senior pastor with the New Horizon Church International in Jackson. “My wife is a breast cancer survivor. I do not know how we would have gotten through her treatment without healthcare coverage, and I can’t imagine what others without it would do.”
Also appearing in the series of videos:
Reverend Susannah Carr, associate pastor, and minister at Galloway United Methodist Church in Jackson,
Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Catholic Archdiocese in Jackson,
Pastor Jeff Parker of Southside Baptist Church in Jackson,
And Reverend Jason Coker, the President of Together for Hope, a multi-state coalition that fights to address poverty in communities with persistent rural poverty, including the Mississippi Delta.
Through the power of storytelling, the unique feature aimed to bring together decision-makers, community members, and the public to have a dialogue about the critical services Medicaid provides.
For more information on ACS CAN's Medicaid Covers US campaign or to join the conversation, visit MedicaidCoversUS.org.
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is making cancer a top priority for public officials and federal, state, and local candidates. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.