LEARN

The American Cancer Society and ACS CAN are in the business of saving lives, which means preventing cancer or finding it early, seeking new cures, and caring for those in treatment. But the problem is millions of people with inadequate insurance or no insurance at all are going without lifesaving screenings and treatments, and many are going deep into debt to pay for care they can't afford.

For the first time in years, meaningful health care reform has been enacted that will benefit families affected by cancer by emphasizing prevention, expanding access to meaningful coverage and improving quality of life for cancer patients and survivors.

Learn more by browsing our complete resource listing below:

IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS AND FACT SHEETS

Fact Sheets

ACS CAN FACT SHEETS AND BACKGROUND PAPERS

The Affordable Care Act impacts many aspects of cancer screening and care. These documents developed by ACS CAN's policy experts provide highlights of the Act's impact in these areas as well as outline ACS CAN's ongoing work on the implementation of the new law.

FACT SHEETS

BACKGROUND PAPERS

TOOLS FROM ACS CAN

Amicus Brief Filed in Federal Appellate Court Defending Patient Protections in the Affordable Care Act (NEW)
The American Cancer Society, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association jointly filed an amicus brief in federal appellate court in support of provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are critical for people with life-threatening chronic diseases. Read the news release.
Questions for ACS evaluative framework for assessing proposals for change in the medicaid program. (NEW)
The questions in the Medicaid Evaluative Framework are designed to illustrate the kinds of inquiries and analyses that should be considered in determining whether ACS CAN should take a position on waivers and legislation involving a state's Medicaid program.
Questions for ACS CAN Evaluative Framework for Assessing SHOP and Health Benefits Exchange Proposals
The questions in the Evaluative Framework are designed to illustrate the kinds of inquiries and analyses that should be considered in determining whether ACS CAN should take a position on health exchange proposals.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: HOW IT HELPS PEOPLE WITH CANCER AND THEIR FAMILIES
A user-friendly guide to help people understand how the Affordable Care Act will help improve the quality of care and make health care more affordable, available, and easier for patients to understand.
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
Some provisions of the new Affordable Care Act will go into effect as soon as July 2010. It could take several years to get some new health systems and programs into place.
KEY CANCER PROVISIONS IN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
After careful analysis of the Affordable Care Act, ACS CAN policy experts have determined that there are 160 provisions in the final health care legislation that will directly impact the millions of Americans who have or will face cancer.
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH THE CANCER LENS
A presentation from ACS CAN outlining the implementation of health care reform as it relates to cancer issues.
Application of Insurance-Related Requirements Under PPACA to Different Types of Health Insurance or Benefit Plans
Detailed tables showing how selected provisions of Title I-Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), apply to different sources of health insurance in the individual and small group insurance markets both in and outside of the state exchanges.
Summary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
A detailed, 182-page summary of the new law prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc.
TEXT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
 

TOOLS FROM THE GOVERNMENT

Health Insurance Web Portal (HealthCare.gov)
The federal government has created a new web tool to shop for available insurance options in a particular geographic area. The consumer-friendly website, www.healthcare.gov, collects more information than has ever before been available before about the various health care options that are available in each community. The site will eventually have information on plans that are available in the health exchanges, set to be launched by 2014.

TOOLS FROM THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to frequently asked questions from consumers, employers and seniors. This information is provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the Center for Insurance Policy and Research.

Consumer Representatives to the NAIC

PPACA Implementation: Consumer Recommendations for Regulators and Lawmakers
These materials prepared to assist regulators, lawmakers, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners during the initial phase of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, (PPACA). Their purpose is to convey the perspectives of policyholder/consumer advocates on appropriate standards and guidelines for implementing PPACA.

Kaiser Family Foundation

A User-Friendly Animated Explanation of the Affordable Care Act
The Kaiser Family Foundation boils down the new health law in an easy-to-understand cartoon video. The 9-minute spot explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in the future.
Kaiser Family Foundation Health Care Reform Site
Expansive resources related to health care reform from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
How Private Health Coverage Works: A Primer
A 2008 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation that provides a basic overview of private coverage for health care. It begins by describing what we mean by private health coverage, and continues with discussions of the types of organizations that provide it, its key attributes, and how it is regulated.
ACS CAN POLICY DOCUMENTS
*Many documents were developed in partnership with the American Cancer Society

THE 4 A'S OF MEANINGFUL HEALTH INSURANCE
ACS CAN and the American Cancer Society believe meaningful health insurance must include adequate, available, affordable, and administratively simple health insurance coverage for all without regard to health status or risk.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES ON PREVENTION IN A TRANSFORMED HEALTH SYSTEM
We cannot reduce cancer incidence and mortality without a strong and sustained societal investment in prevention on the community, health care system and individual levels.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES ON THE ROLE AND CONSIDERATION OF COSTS IN HEALTH CARE TREATMENT AND COVERAGE
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.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING TESTS
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides low-income, uninsured, and underserved women access to timely breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services.
ENSURING COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING FOR ALL AMERICANS
Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented through screening. ACS CAN is committed to increasing access to quality colorectal cancer screening, treatment and follow-up care for all adults.
EXPANDING COVERAGE OF TOBACCO CESSATION IN MEDICAID
Preventing tobacco-related disease is important in reducing the number of cancer deaths. ACS CAN is working to expand tobacco cessation coverage for the full range of evidence-based cessation services in all state Medicaid programs.
MAKING PALLIATIVE CARE A HEALTH SYSTEM PRIORITY
A presentation by Dr. Elmer Huerta, ACS's Volunteer Board Chair, which explains the role of palliative care as a means to help reduce suffering and improve quality of life.
PUBLISHED STUDIES

NEW REPORT SPOTLIGHTS HEALTH INSURANCE GAPS FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CANCER AMID HARD ECONOMIC TIMES
A new report by the American Cancer Society and the Kaiser Family Foundation profiles six cancer patients and survivors and the challenges they face to help gauge how the recession is affecting workers who are most in need of ongoing medical care.
A BENCHMARK FOR COVERAGE
How affordable is the most popular federal government health care plan for cancer patients? ACS CAN partnered with Georgetown University to analyze the plan and discovered that while it's a good plan for the healthy, even the insured could be faced with a very heavy financial burden if diagnosed with cancer.
A NATIONAL POLL: FACING CANCER IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
This report presents findings from a major nonpartisan study examining how families affected by cancer fared in the health care system prior to enactment of the Affordable Care Act.
SPENDING TO SURVIVE: CANCER PATIENTS CONFRONT HOLES IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEM
A report from the American Cancer Society and the Kaiser Family Foundation highlighting the health care system's financial squeeze on cancer patients.
CANCER AND MEDICARE: A CHART BOOK
This report highlights Medicare information through charts to provide an overview of cancer among the elderly. The chart book shows how many elderly are getting cancer and dying from the disease, how many are using cancer-screening services, and how much Medicare spends on cancer.
NATIONAL SURVEY OF FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CANCER
Major bipartisan study examines how families affected by cancer are faring in the current economic and health care environments.