Senate Vote to Increase Access to Health Care Will Save Lives and Money

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Utah state senators voted today in favor of Senate Bill (SB) 164, sending legislation containing Governor Gary Herbert's Healthy Utah proposal to the House. This plan would increase access to health coverage for thousands of low-income Utahns, providing them with critical preventive and cancer treatment services.   In response to the vote, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) released the following statement from Utah Government Relations Director Brook Carlisle.

"As an organization committed to improving people's lives by reducing suffering and death from cancer, ACS CAN is grateful to state senators for their bipartisan support of Healthy Utah. We commend their vote on this important issue that would increase healthcare access for 95,000 of Utah's most vulnerable residents.  ACS CAN urges the House to vote in favor of Healthy Utah. 

"Having access to affordable, quality health insurance is one of the most significant factors in whether or not an individual is able to beat this disease. Individuals who do not have health insurance are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancers, when it is more difficult and costly to treat, and are more likely to die from the disease.

"By accepting the federal funds available to extend coverage to more individuals, more Utahns will have the opportunity to see a doctor regularly, access potentially life-saving cancer screenings and, if necessary, treatments they need to fight this disease. We commend the Governor for his work in negotiating the Healthy Utah plan and applaud the Senate for passing this Utah solution.

"Not only will this decision save countless lives, it will save the state money, too. By making sure more people have access to regular care, we can reduce the number of individuals diagnosed with these diseases and therefore reduce health care costs."

This year, an estimated 11,050 Utahns will be newly diagnosed with cancer and 2,900 will lose their battle with the disease.

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. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.  Contact Brook Carlisle for more information: 801.205.8551 or [email protected] 

SOURCE American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)

Related Links

http://www.acscan.org

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