CHEYENNE, Wyo. –– The Wyoming Legislature closed business last week having again failed to take meaningful action to address the state’s ongoing health care crisis. As one of only 10 states refusing to enact Medicaid expansion, tens of thousands of Wyoming residents remain in the coverage gap, working jobs where they make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to purchase private insurance.
Regular visits to health care providers and appropriate screenings and diagnostics are a significant factor in early identification and treatment of cancer, improving overall health outcomes and saving lives. More than 1,200 Wyomingites are expected to lose their lives to the disease in 2025 and, with only 40% of state employers offering health benefits, thousands work hard yet often cannot afford to make health care a priority in their lives. This unquestionably means individuals making lower incomes are less likely to survive a cancer diagnosis, a reality that should be unacceptable to all, including Wyoming legislators who have the power to make change.
Medicaid expansion has been enacted in every state bordering Wyoming and has significantly closed the coverage gap in each in addition to stabilizing rural health infrastructure. Thousands of Wyomingites do not have access to health care and hospitals throughout the state are struggling financially with some cutting services crucial to those living in rural areas.
“Hospitals are cutting services, and some are at risk of closing. The state is in a health care crisis and it’s time we find a solution,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Wyoming Grassroots Manager Katharine Sutphen said. “We remain eager to work with state leaders toward that goal. Wyoming residents should not have to settle for less than their neighbors in Utah and South Dakota when there is a clear and cost-effective solution.”
In Idaho and Montana, roughly 100,000 residents in each state who normally could not afford a marketplace plan have access to insurance and life-saving health care and Medicaid enjoys high levels of support among voters in both states. For example, recent surveys in neighboring Idaho show that 75% of residents approve of Medicaid expansion’s service to their family, friends and communities.
One in 30 Wyoming residents fall within the coverage gap and potentially face one of the biggest barriers to receive their critical screenings: cost. Cancer continues to be one of the most expensive diseases to treat as evidenced by surveys that have found that a majority of cancer patients and survivors have accrued medical debt. This year some 3,580 Wyomingites will be diagnosed with cancer and too many were uninsured when they received the devastating news.
ACS CAN encourages individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in getting involved in the fight against cancer to visit https://www.fightcancer.org/states/wyoming