American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: New report bolsters ACS CAN efforts to improve access to palliative care in Wisconsin

Jennifer Amundson

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

651-255-8137

Jennifer.amundson@cancer.org

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) releases its annual report on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, which measures how states are doing when it comes to passage and implementation of policies proven to reduce suffering and death from cancer. 

 

How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality grades states in nine specific areas of public policy that can help fight cancer. States are graded using a color system of red, yellow and green, to classify how well they are doing on each issue.

 

“Wisconsin received a red designation in the palliative care category and that stands out among our neighbors,” explained Sara Sahli, government relations director for ACS CAN Wisconsin. “We are working with lawmakers this session already to determine a next step. Wisconsin wants to keep pace with the 31 other states that have already passed legislation that meets the standard ACS CAN favors, establishing a palliative care council to improve access to this important support for cancer patients and their families.”

 

Palliative care is a growing specialty and is intended for any age and any stage of chronic disease to improve quality of life for patients. It works alongside curative efforts as an extra layer of support to relieve the pain, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. ACS CAN supports the establishment of state palliative care councils to study the issue in Wisconsin and make recommendations about how to educate the public and expand access to providers of this type of care.

 

How Do You Measure Up? grades states in nine specific areas of public policy that can help fight cancer, including smoke-free laws, tobacco tax levels, funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs and cessation coverage under Medicaid, funding for cancer screening programs and restricting indoor tanning devices for minors. States are graded using a color-coded system to classify how well they are doing on each issue. Green shows that a state has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short. 

 

The report also looks at whether a state has said yes to federal funds available to increase access to care through its Medicaid program, has passed policies proven to increase patient quality of life and offers a well-balanced approach to pain medications.

 

To schedule an interview with Sara Sahli, please contact Jennifer Amundson atJennifer.Amundson@Cancer.org.

 

The full report will be available at ACSCAN.org, after the embargo lifts.

 

About ACS CAN:
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.