Hundreds of Cancer Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Pass Health Care Now, Not Later
Hundreds of Cancer Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Pass Health Care Now, Not Later
More than 400 cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and their families from all 50 states and nearly every Congressional district united on Tuesday to lobby their members of Congress in support of comprehensive health care reform. ACS CAN hosted its annual leadership summit and lobby day this week in Washington, D.C. to urge lawmakers to focus on patients, not politics, by supporting reform that escalates the emphasis on disease prevention and ensures that all Americans have access to health care.
Before meeting with their legislators, cancer advocates attended advanced training sessions on communicating with elected officials, speaking with the media and engaging in grassroots activities in their communities. On the Hill, they advocated for provisions that will work for people with cancer and have already been proposed in health care reform bills, including:
* Guaranteeing coverage for all Americans regardless of health status or pre-existing conditions
* Prohibiting insurance companies from charging people more for insurance because of their health status;
* Eliminating annual and lifetime dollar limits on benefits and placing limits on patient out-of-pocket costs;
* Increasing the emphasis on prevention, with little or no patient costs for cancer screenings; and
* Fostering patient-centered care to improve quality of life for people with cancer.
Coaches, Lawmakers and Administration Officials Join Cancer Advocates at Capitol Hill Rally for Health Care Reform
Five NCAA Division I college basketball coaches teamed up with ACS CAN cancer advocates, U.S. Senators Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a Capitol Hill rally this week with one urgent message: action is needed on health care reform now, not later.
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Yes, we need to make our health care system better and reform it but not with socialized medicine. I am in health care and the current bill if passed could potentially cause a person to die before they every got their cancer work up or the medical assistance they needed for their cancer treatment. Think hard and long about what you advertising here. We need reform but a crazy QUICK plan that is not helpful. Much respect ,C
September 29, 2009 - 6:10amThis Comment
While there are many disagreements on how healthcare should be reformed, I think most cancer survivors would agree that our issues and concerns deserve more attention and support.
September 29, 2009 - 5:41pm