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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Health Care in Crisis: What Coverage Losses Mean for Cancer Patients and the Road Ahead

Congress voted to make the biggest cuts to Medicaid in history. RSVP to our virtual event on July 10th where you'll here from ACS CAN’s President and other experts to learn more about the bill that was passed, the impact you made, and what happens next.
 

Latest Updates

July 3, 2025
National

Following U.S. House passage of the budget bill containing the most devastating cuts to Medicaid in history and changes to the ACA Marketplace that will make it more expensive and difficult to obtain and keep health insurance, ACS CAN expresses deep disappointment and urges Congress to extend the enhanced ACA tax credits.

July 1, 2025
North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – July 1, 2025 – Today the U.S. Senate passed the budget reconciliation bill H.R. 1, by a vote of 51 to 50. John Broome, North Carolina government relations director with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) released the following statement: “Congress is making an

May 30, 2025
Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A broad coalition of 10 Tennessee advocacy organizations including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will hold a news conference in front of the offices of Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty on Tuesday, June 3, at 11 a.m. at the Fred D. Thompson

May 27, 2025

For over 20 years, Ali spent much of her time caring for others as a nurse and a single mother of two. When Ali started feeling ill in 2021, she knew her symptoms were indicative of a larger issue. Ali voiced her concerns to her doctor but was dismissed. What

Access to Health Insurance Resources

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

Short-term limited duration (STLD) insurance plans do not provide the kind of comprehensive insurance coverage cancer patients need.  These plans were designed only as temporary coverage and are not subject to the same Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements as other health insurance products on the market.  As a result, an enrollee who was attracted to the plan’s lower premiums may find – if they are diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer – that the plan does not cover all of their necessary cancer treatments.  In these cases, the consumer can be left with catastrophic costs.

Many patients with complex diseases like cancer find it difficult to afford their treatments – even when they have health insurance.  Current law establishes a limit on what most private insurance plans can require enrollees to pay in out-of-pocket costs.  These limits protect patients from extremely high costs and are essential to any health care system that works for cancer patients and survivors.