Resources > Policy Resources
Policy Resources
Throughout the year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) develops policy documents relevant to the organization’s core mission and current work. These documents demonstrate how ACS CAN engages in policy on priority issues for the organization.
Policy Issue Areas
- Access to Care |
- Cancer Prevention and Early Detection |
- Cancer Disparities |
- Prescription Drug Coverage
Access to Care
Real Stories Showing the Importance of Adequate, Available, Affordable and Administratively Simple Health Insurance
Thousands of stories from cancer patients who call the American Cancer Society when they do not have access to quality, affordable cancer care demonstrate the need for ACS CAN’s principles for meaningful health insurance. This document illustrates and defines each of ACS CAN’s four A's of meaningful health insurance — adequate, available, affordable and administratively simple
Understanding the Medicare Program
Medicare is an important ally in the fight against cancer. ACS CAN is working on initiatives to assure that the Medicare program will improve prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer in Medicare beneficiaries allowing them to live longer and healthier lives. Learn more about what ACS CAN's legislative and regulatory priorities concerning the Medicare program.
Prevention and Early Detection
Statement of Principles on Cancer Prevention through Management and Regulation of Chemicals that Potentially Affect Cancer Risk
This statement outlines the American Cancer Society's position on public policy regulating chemicals that may be related to cancer.
Making Prevention a Priority
ACS CAN believes prevention should be an important part of health care reform. ACS CAN advocates that everyone should have access to tobacco control programs, cancer screenings, and tools to help maintain healthy weight and improve diet and exercise.
Prevention Makes Common Cents
Spending on health care in the United States has been growing much faster than the economy in recent years, causing a huge burden on patients, providers, the government, and insurers. Investing in common sense, proven prevention, and wellness services and programs can help curtail health care costs, save lives, and improve quality of life.
Transforming Prevention in the Health System
Prevention has long been a cornerstone of the Society and ACS CAN's policy, research, and programs. Recently, the delivery of prevention and early detection services has come to the forefront in the health care reform discussions as the public and policymakers are focusing increasingly on the fact that we cannot improve the health of our nation without redefining the role of prevention and wellness.
Disparities
Cancer Disparities: A Chartbook
This report highlights the role of racial and ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer prevention, incidence, and mortality. These charts show how many minority, low income, and uninsured persons are getting cancer and dying from the disease. This chartbook concludes by highlighting advocacy issues that ACS CAN supports to reduce cancer disparities.
Prescription Drug Coverage
Biosimilars Primer: Understanding Biologic Medicines From the Cancer Patient Perspective
Considered a major hope for effective treatment of many diseases, biologic medicines are increasingly used in cancer treatment. With increasing use of biologic medicines, the high costs of biologics and upcoming expiration of patents for key "brand name" biologics, the BIologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2010 authorized a development pathway for biosimilars.
