Reducing Health Disparities

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Cancer impacts everyone, but it doesn’t impact everyone equally. We are working to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against cancer because of how much money they make, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability status, or where they live.

From ensuring greater diversity among clinical trial participants to improving access to quality, affordable health care, we are asking lawmakers to reduce disparities in cancer care by advancing policies that break down existing barriers.

Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women overall

Latest Updates

March 19, 2025
Vermont

Survivors and oncology professionals share their stories with lawmakers to underscore the importance of insurance coverage of cutting-edge biomarker testing

March 19, 2025
Connecticut

Insurance coverage of biomarker testing will reduce health disparities for cancer patients & improve outcomes across broad spectrum of serious disease

March 6, 2025
New Hampshire

Lawmakers asked to reduce barriers to care and reduce prescription related costs

February 13, 2025
National

Today, the Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men (PSA Screening for HIM) Act was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Representatives Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) with Representatives Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Troy Carter (D-LA) as cosponsors.

Reducing Health Disparities Resources

The PSA Screening for HIM Act  (H.R. 1300/S. 297) would remove out-of-pocket costs for prostate cancer screening for those at highest risk for the disease. 

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) believes everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against cancer because of income, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, or where they live. From preventive screening and early detection, through diagnosis and treatment, and into survivorship, there are several factors that influence cancer disparities among different populations across the cancer continuum.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for policies at the federal, state, and local level aimed at addressing food and nutrition insecurity and reducing health disparities. Having consistent access to affordable nutritious food has a direct impact on a person’s health and can help prevent, manage, and treat chronic diseases like cancer.