Access to Health Insurance

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As Congress considers changes to the Affordable Care Act, it is critically important that lawmakers maintain the patient protections that are so important to cancer patients and survivors, and ensure insurance coverage is truly affordable.  

We can never go back to the day when cancer patients couldn’t get health insurance coverage because they exceeded a lifetime limit or are denied coverage just because they survived cancer.  And, we must ensure they don’t experience any gap in their health insurance coverage and that their policies are truly affordable.

A study conducted by the American Cancer Society showed that people who are uninsured or underinsured are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at its more advanced stages when treatment is more expensive and patients are more likely to die from the disease.

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How has access to affordable, comprehensive health care impacted you?

One of ACS CAN’s top priorities in 2025 and beyond will be to protect critical patient protections in the health care law and maintain access to affordable, quality health coverage. Your story can help. 

Latest Updates

November 6, 2024
National

South Dakota voters on Tuesday passed Amendment F, which would change the state constitution to allow for work requirements to be added to the state’s Medicaid expansion program.

October 21, 2024
National

Today 35 organizations, representing millions of patients with serious health conditions and thousands of health care professionals, filed an amicus curiae, or “friend-of-the-court,” brief in the case of Braidwood v. Becerra at the U.S. Supreme Court.

October 8, 2024
National

Seventy-two percent of cancer patients and survivors support extending the Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits, according to the latest Survivor Views survey released today by ACS CAN.

October 2, 2024
National

Washington, D.C. – October 2, 2024 – Today, patient groups representing millions of individuals with serious diseases and health conditions filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief strongly urging the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota to deny a motion for a stay and preliminary injunction in the case of Kansas v. United States of America .

Access to Health Insurance Resources

In our latest survey, cancer patients and survivors overwhelmingly support extending financial assistance for people who purchase health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace by a margin of nearly 12 to 1 (72% support, 6% oppose). The survey also finds 43% would not be able to afford their plan without the enhanced tax credits, 30% would skip or delay medical care to reduce expenses, and 24% would accumulate medical debt to afford their care.

Having affordable and comprehensive health insurance coverage is a key determinant for surviving cancer.

Cancer patients and survivors must balance reducing their health care costs with ensuring they have comprehensive coverage of services, treatments, and care providers.