July 21, 2009 – According to a new report, Indiana is falling short for
its legislative efforts to combat cancer. How Do You Measure up?: A
Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence
and Mortality evaluates each state’s legislative activity on six issues
key to winning the fight against cancer. Developed by the American
Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate
of the American Cancer Society, the report finds that Indiana measured
up to benchmarks in one of the six issues.
“Our state legislators can play an important role in the war against
cancer by passing legislation that can help reduce the toll this disease
takes on our state and save lives,” said Judy Stewart, American Cancer
Society Director of State Government Relations for the Great Lakes
Division. “We all have a responsibility to fight back against a disease
that kills 12,820 people in Indiana each year by enacting laws and
policies that eliminate barriers for the proper diagnosis, treatment and
care of cancer patients.”
How Do You Measure Up? details state efforts around health care
coverage, prevention and quality of life measures. The report measures
state policies (as a result of a legislative vote or a ballot
initiative) on six specific issues: breast and cervical cancer early
detection program funding; access to care for the uninsured; colorectal
screening coverage laws; smoke-free laws; pain management; and tobacco
taxes. A color-coded system is used to identify how well a state is
doing. Green represents the benchmark position with well-balanced
policies and good practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward
the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short.
In addition to the specific areas that were rated, the report also
examines how states are measuring up on issues such as the affordability
of health coverage on the individual market or through Medicaid for
low-income populations. It also details state efforts to fund tobacco
prevention and cessation programs and as well as state investments in
nutrition and physical activity promotion.
“As advocates, we have the responsibility to educate the public on the
many ways to prevent and fight cancer effectively at the state level,
but we cannot do it unless state and local policymakers take action,”
said Patty Avery, Indiana’s State Lead Ambassador. “In most cases, the
solutions we offer will save the state millions of dollars in health
care costs and increased worker productivity. In many cases, it costs
the state little or nothing to do the right thing.”
While there is still much work to be done, the Indiana legislature has
made progress in some areas by passing several bills that allow Hoosiers
increased access to the cancer prevention and treatment they need. HEA
1382, a bill that allows for routine care coverage of cancer clinical
trial legislation, passed. Additionally, Indiana is only the second
state to pass legislation (SEA 437) which requires coverage of oral
chemo on parity with intravenous chemotherapy. Finally, the state passed
legislation (SEA 554) which loosens restrictions on the state’s Breast
and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) and will allow more women to be
treated under the program. However, the state failed to enact
comprehensive legislation that would have made all workplaces, including
bars, restaurants and casinos smokefree.
How Indiana measures up:
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Funding Yellow
The Uninsured Yellow
Colorectal Screening Coverage Laws
Green
Smokefree Laws Red
Pain Management Yellow
Tobacco Taxes Yellow
Throughout the past year, state legislatures across the country have
made great advances in the fight against cancer. In the last year, 12
states and the District of Columbia have passed or implemented tobacco
tax increases, bringing to 46 the total number of states with tobacco
tax increases since 2002. Six more states implemented comprehensive
smoke-free laws, protecting workers and patrons from the hazards of
secondhand smoke. And many states are working on policies and programs
to reduce cancer risk related to poor nutrition, lack of physical
activity and obesity.
In addition, many state legislatures fought hard to preserve coverage
for lifesaving cancer screenings and treatments and to stave off
attempts to cut state funds that support these programs, such as the
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
In 2009, more than 1.4 million people in the United States will be
diagnosed with cancer and more than 562,000 people will die from the
disease. In Indiana this year, 31,320 will be diagnosed with cancer and
another 12,820 will die of the disease.
For state-by-state details or a copy of the complete report, please
visit www.acscan.org.
The American Cancer Society’s Great Lakes Division is comprised of staff
and more than 135,000 volunteers throughout Indiana and Michigan who
are dedicated to saving lives and creating more birthdays by helping
people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back
against cancer. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.
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.