Cancer Patients, Survivors Need Immediate Health Care Replacement Plan If Affordable Care Act Repealed

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network issued the following statement by President Chris Hansen on immediate health care replacement plan:

Today Congress passed a budget resolution that will enable the repeal of significant parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including premium subsidy support and funding for Medicaid expansion.

A statement from Chris Hansen, president of ACS CAN, follows:

"Today the House took the first step in repealing the Affordable Care Act, following Senate action earlier this week. As the process moves ahead, we urge lawmakers to craft a replacement plan that is immediately available and provides equal or better coverage for cancer patients and survivors who now depend on marketplace policies and Medicaid for their preventive care and treatment.

"Delaying such a replacement could create unacceptable instability in the insurance market jeopardizing the health care of more than 20 million Americans--many of whom are cancer patients and cancer survivors with a pre-existing condition -- who have gained coverage through current law.

"The American Cancer Society's peer-reviewed scientific research has shown that uninsured and underinsured people are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage cancer when the disease is more difficult and costly to treat, and more likely to die as a result.

"It is essential that any replacement plan includes comprehensive coverage. Simply providing people universal access to health insurance is not sufficient if the coverage doesn't cover cancer prevention, treatment and follow-up at an affordable price.

"Going forward, we stand ready to work with Congress and the incoming administration to make sure that the patient protections, including the ban on discrimination against patients with pre-existing health conditions, are retained and insurance coverage is affordable to those who need it the most."

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About ACS CAN

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

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