Statement of Christopher W. Hansen, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)

WASHINGTON – December 9, 2011 – “Families affected by cancer are disheartened by continued attempts by Congress to diminish the nation’s preventive health efforts and complicate access to adequate, affordable health care for patients with chronic diseases.

“The year-end proposal issued today by House leaders is the latest example of the House tapping into the Public Health and Prevention Fund to pay for a range of non-prevention budget items. The proposal would take more than half of the money designated for prevention and reappropriate it for unrelated budget items. The fund is finally making prevention a national priority, after years in which we spent a mere four cents of every dollar as a country trying to keep people well. If Congress succeeds in channeling this critical funding elsewhere, we risk reverting to a health care system that only focuses on treating people once they get sick.

“The proposal would also divert health exchange subsidy funding — money that could help patients finally afford to buy coverage. For too long, cancer patients have been forced to choose between fighting for their lives and their lifesavings. They should be able to focus on getting well, rather than on how they are going to afford their treatment.

“This year-end bill would signify a significant step backward toward a health care system that waits to treat people until they are sick and puts coverage out of reach because the cost is too steep.”

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.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Alissa Crispino or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5772 or (202) 661-5711
Email: Alissa.Crispino@cancer.org or Steve.Weiss@cancer.org

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