Lansing, MI – January 14, 2019 – As lawmakers dive into the new year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is asking that legislators support legislation that will ease the burden of cancer in Michigan. The latest edition of the ACS CAN’s How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality shows Michigan can do better when it comes to implementing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer.
ACS CAN would like to work with legislators to ensure that the legislature enacts evidence-based solutions. ACS CAN is advocating for increased access to care for the hard-working people of Michigan to improve treatment outcomes and the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. One way this can be done is by passing Oral Chemotherapy Fairness legislation to give chronically ill patients easier access to the cancer treatment they need. It would ensure the out-of-pocket cost to the patient for oral chemotherapy and intravenous chemotherapy are similar. Currently, the out-of-pocket costs for oral chemo medications are higher than intravenous medications and provide a barrier for some Michiganders to use them.
ACS CAN is also working to protect all Michiganders from the preventable harms from tobacco use by asking lawmakers to raise the age to purchase tobacco to 21. Nationally, 95 percent of adults who smoke start before they turn 21. Restricting youth and young adult access to tobacco products can be a critical component to reducing initiation and a lifelong addiction.
ACS CAN volunteers look forward to meeting with lawmakers during the annual Cancer Awareness Day on April 24. ACS CAN encourages individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in these issues to reach out to ACS CAN to get involved in the fight against cancer.