FRANKFORT, KY – As lawmakers dive into the 2023 legislative session, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) urges legislators to prioritize legislation that will improve access to care for cancer patients by expanding coverage for biomarker testing.
“ACS CAN calls on the legislature to increase access to biomarker testing, an essential step in accessing precision medicine treatments by ensuring state regulated health insurance, including Medicaid, covers appropriate biomarker testing for patients who could benefit. Dubbed ‘the right treatment at the right time,’ precision medicine has played a critical role in improving cancer outcomes,” said Doug Hogan, ACS CAN government relations director. “Despite its benefits, health insurance coverage of biomarker testing has not kept pace with innovations in treatment.
Additionally, ACS CAN calls on the legislature to address the toll of tobacco in the state by investing $10 million annually in fact-based tobacco prevention and cessation programs.37.8% of cancer deaths in Kentucky are due to smoking, the highest proportion of smoking-related cancer deaths in the country. We can and we must do better. Everyone deserves to live tobacco-free lives in cleaner, safer, healthier communities. It is past time for Kentucky to take meaningful action to reduce the toll of tobacco in the state through well-funded tobacco control programs.
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About ACS CAN
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 improves the lives of people with cancer and their families. 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 advanced proven tobacco control measures. We’re more determined than ever to stand together with our volunteers to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.
