2011 State Legislative Wrap-up
Arizona advocates made their voices heard on priority legislation during the fiftieth regular session of the Arizona State Legislature that ended April 21. Over 100 survivors, caregivers, volunteers and friends attended the 10th annual ACS CAN Arizona Lobby Day on March 1. Participants had lunch with their lawmakers and worked to educate them on ACS CAN’s priority issues in Arizona. Below is an as update on the outcomes of three priority pieces of legislation for the regular session: Well Women HealthCheck Funding
While most of the attention in the state budget focused on what was cut, the Arizona Well Woman HealthCheck program funding was maintained thanks to ACS CAN advocates and our partner organizations. It is estimated that about 8,000 women in the state will receive breast and cervical screenings in the coming fiscal year as a result of this funding. Last year 97 women were diagnosed with cancer and treated through this program. Reauthorization of TRUST Commission Ensuring the state Department of Health has a permanent outside, expert panel to consult in its allocation of tobacco tax dollars is now a reality. The Tobacco Revenue Use and Spending Tracking (TRUST) Commission has existed through administrative orders in the past. Governor Brewer signed HB2158 on April 26. Many thanks to Representative Cecil Ash and Representative Heather Carter for sponsoring the bill and guiding it through the House. Out-of-State Health Insurance On April 28, Governor Brewer vetoed a bill that would have allowed out-of-state health insurance policies to be offered in Arizona without regard to our state requirements for benefits. This bill would have paved the way for insurance companies to lower their benefits standards and put "off-label" drug treatments for cancer patients and "covered patient costs" for participants in clinical trials at risk. ACS CAN pushed for the veto by sending an action alert to all Arizona constituents. The Governor’s office received comments opposing the bill by a margin of more than 2-to-1. We are happy to report that over 300 emails were sent directly to the Governor from ACS CAN volunteers and we share this great victory in preserving essential health insurance safeguards with members of the autism and chronic care disease communities. ACS CAN is excited to celebrate its 10th Birthday in 2011! We will be hosting Celebrate With Action events around the state throughout the month of September, including events already planned for the Phoenix and Tucson areas. If you are interested in helping to plan a Celebrate With Action activity or would like more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact Brett Skaugstad, Arizona ACS CAN at 602.952.7530,
Arizona Updates
