Resources > Policy Resources
Policy Resources
![Policy Newsletter Cover [90px]](../images/content/pagebuilder/21803.jpg)
Policy Matters, a quarterly ACS CAN newsletter, highlights recent research and policy developments. This third edition describes ACS CAN's work to expand access to colorectal cancer screening, highlights recent research showing colorectal cancer screening saves lives and Medicare money, and provides information on the full coverage of all recommended colorectal cancer screening tests. Archive
No. 1 — June 2008
No. 2 — November 2008
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
Expanding Access to Health Care (April 2008)
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is dedicated to ensuring that quality care is available to all Americans. Meaningful reform must include adequate, available, affordable, and administratively simple health insurance coverage for all Americans without regard to health status or risk.
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
Statement of Principles on the Role and Consideration of Costs in Health Care Treatment and Coverage (February 2008)
It is a fundamental principle of the American Cancer Society that the goal of the nation's health care system should be to ensure well-being. The Society supports the following principles in addressing costs in the health care system.
Principles of What Constitutes Meaningful Health Insurance (March 2007)
This statement of principles defines the American Cancer Society’s perspective on health insurance reform.
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.
High Cost Sharing in Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D helps millions of beneficiaries pay for their prescription drugs. However, Part D premiums have been escalating, and many beneficiaries must switch plans annually to avoid paying significantly more each month for their drug coverage. Moreover, many cancer patients find that their coinsurance makes some medications unaffordable.
Understanding the Medicaid Program
As states face increased economic pressures, many may consider making significant changes to the design and operation of their Medicaid program, possibly to the detriment of cancer patients who rely on this program for access to lifesaving cancer screenings and treatment.
Prevention and Early Detection
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.
Tobacco Control — Federal Initiatives (April 2008)
ACS CAN is engaged in reducing tobacco-related deaths and disease through federal initiatives. We know what strategies are effective in preventing children from ever starting to smoke, helping smokers quit their deadly addiction, and protecting all citizens from the health hazards of secondhand smoke and continue to work with policymakers in reducing the burden tobacco has on our nation.
Tobacco Control — State and Local Initiatives (April 2008)
States and localities have been the frontlines of tobacco control by legislating and implementing effective, proven strategies to reduce youth initiation, encourage current users to quit and protect all from secondhand smoke.
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program — NBCCEDP (April 2008 )
Breast and cervical cancer strikes American women in large numbers and continues to be a silent killer in communities across the country. Administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the NBCCEDP provides free breast and cervical cancer screening to low-income, underserved women who are uninsured or underinsured.
Ensuring Colorectal Cancer Screening for All Americans (April 2008)
Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented through screening. Precancerous polyps can be identified and removed before they develop to colorectal cancers. ACS CAN is committed to increasing use of colorectal cancer screening, particularly among minority and medically underserved populations.
Principles on Administration and Utilization of Cancer Prevention Vaccines (November 2007)
This statement of principles defines the American Cancer Society's position on use and administering current and future cancer prevention vaccines.
Quality of Life
Joint position statement of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and Alliance of State Pain Initiatives on Pain Medication and Prescribing Restrictions (November 2007)
Ensuring that cancer patients’ lives are not overpowered by pain is a priority for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives (ASPI). We support and encourage national, state, and local efforts to promote effective pain management and remove barriers so that pain can be appropriately assessed and adequately treated in all cancer patients.
Disparities in Pain Treatment: A Sample of Research Findings (October 2007)
Studies confirm that disparities exist in the management of pain for cancer patients. Learn more by reading a synthesis of the published research on pain management and medically underserved populations.
Addressing State Policy Barriers to Cancer Pain Management (July 2007)
States are making steady progress in adopting effective policies that help people alleviate their suffering from pain. This one-page fact sheet provides information on how to address policy barriers state policies that prevent health care professionals from effectively relieving the suffering of their patients to cancer pain management.
Advocating for Balanced Prescription Monitoring Programs (September 2008)
Prescription Monitoring Programs (PMPs) have been proliferating across the country in recent years as a means to identify and reduce diversion of prescription medications. PMPs are created to monitor prescribing of certain controlled substances, including many types of prescription medications used to control cancer-related pain in patients and survivors. This one-page fact sheet provides is geared to help ensure that PMP efforts in states promote carefully balanced policies that do not interfere with patient care.
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.
Reducing Disparities (April 2008 )
Despite notable advances in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment, a disproportionate number of the uninsured, minorities, and other medically underserved populations are still not benefiting from such important progress. Eliminating disparities in cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and mortality is an essential step toward improving the health outcomes for all Americans with cancer.
