A message from ACS CAN President Lisa LacasseOur efforts have been tremendous over the past few months to protect affordable health care for everyone in the U.S. Despite the incredible work of thousands of advocates nationwide, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" was signed into law by the president, marking one of the most sweeping rollbacks of health care coverage in history.According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this legislation will slash Medicaid funding by $1 trillion and lead to nearly 12 million people losing access to affordable health insurance. It also weakens protections in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, making it more complicated and more expensive for millions to obtain and maintain coverage.The passage of this reconciliation bill is an upsetting blow to cancer patients, survivors and families already struggling with medical costs. But while this moment is disheartening to us due to the significant impact on our cancer mission, our work will continue with tenacity to pursue opportunities that provide access to affordable, quality health care options. I invite you to join me this Thursday, July 10 at 8 pm Eastern, as we gather our nationwide community of advocates to convey their impact in elevating the cancer lens through our most recent campaign and to discuss the road ahead.I am immensely grateful for the dedicated team and volunteers who continued to activate at every stage of our nationwide campaign. Our voices were heard loud and clear. One of the most powerful moments in this fight came when Senator Dick Durbin shared ACS CAN's position on the Senate floor. In his remarks, he emphasized the real-life consequences of the bill, quoting our statement directly: "Voting for this bill means voting to rip that chance of survival away from real people," he read. "Simply put, this bill will mean more Americans are living sicker and dying sooner."This moment was a testament to the power of our advocacy. It showed that when ACS CAN advocates speak through phone calls, emails, letters, office visits, sharing personal stories, Congress listens. Our impact has been unmistakable.All across the country, our advocates mobilized:Minnesota and Texas hosted webinars to equip residents with advocacy tools.Alaska held a media event to unveil a report on the economic impact of Medicaid cuts.Ohio volunteers met with lawmakers in seven offices in a single day.North Carolina displayed billboards urging Senator Thom Tillis to vote 'no' on the bill.Colorado, Missouri and Nebraska organized board sign-on letters.California hosted a virtual rally with community partners, targeting key districts.Arizona, New York and Tennessee organized in-person events to call on lawmakers to reject the bill.Maine, Pennsylvania and West Virginia hosted tele-town halls to speak with voters about the issue.Kansas compiled Medicaid stories into a storybook and delivered them to their lawmakers.New Jersey and Utah collected and delivered hundreds of postcards to their lawmakers.Since we ramped up our campaign to protect affordable health care in February, our impact has included:449 office visits (drop-bys and meetings)39 town halls attended10 in-district events32,967 petition signatures149,641 messages sent to Congress6,175 phone calls into offices82 million+ ad impressionsMoving forward, we are intensifying our advocacy, urging Congress to take immediate action to extend the enhanced ACA tax credits that help people afford comprehensive health coverage on the Marketplace.Our work to protect and increase cancer research funding continues to move ahead. We are engaging with lawmakers, scaling up our advertising and building a microsite to highlight personal stories from those affected by cancer research funding cuts.We remain steadfast in our mission to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer. Our resolve is stronger than ever.Thank you for standing with us in this fight.LisaJudicial UpdatesThe Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided two major cases in which ACS CAN had led amicus briefs:Kennedy v. Braidwood Management: We celebrated a critical and long-awaited victory in the fight against cancer. In a ruling that will continue to support our mission to reduce the cancer burden nationwide by ensuring affordable access to cancer screening and preventive services, SCOTUS upheld the provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires most private insurers cover evidence-based preventive care without cost sharing, including cancer screenings and tobacco cessation.ACS CAN and the American Cancer Society led 31 partner organizations in applauding the Court's decision. Read our joint release. ACS CAN has led amicus curiae (or "friend of the court") briefs in the case since 2022, culminating in a Supreme Court filing this past February. That amicus brief supported the constitutionality of the ACA provision that requires most private insurers to cover preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) without patient cost sharing.As we celebrate this win, ACS CAN continues to strongly urge the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to protect patients, uphold scientific evidence, and maintain access to no-cost, recommended preventive services.Medina v. Planned Parenthood: Unfortunately, in a separate case, SCOTUS issued a ruling that could negatively impact access to care for Medicaid patients. The Medicaid Act has a provision stating that beneficiaries must be able to choose from "any qualified provider" for their care. Congress wrote this provision because states were forcing Medicaid beneficiaries to go to state-affiliated providers, like state universities, creating barriers to accessible care.Leading 10 partner organizations, ACS CAN filed an amicus curiae brief at SCOTUS, highlighting the importance of Medicaid in disease prevention and treatment, as well as extensive scientific research showing a strong link between access to Medicaid and improved health outcomes, with an emphasis on the critical role Medicaid plays in rural areas. The brief included original research published by the American Cancer Society and underscored the importance of Medicaid beneficiaries being able to choose their provider for their care. Read our press release.Unfortunately, SCOTUS ruled in favor of a state's ability to limit the types of providers that can participate in their state Medicaid program, which is likely to result in reduced access for Medicaid patients who are seeking cancer screenings and HPV vaccines. Planned Parenthood provided 426,268 cancer screenings and preventive treatment in the most recent year for which data is available.Federal UpdatesThe Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on the FY 2026 budget request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), featuring testimony from NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. ACS CAN volunteers and staff from Kansas, West Virginia, and the DC-Maryland-Virginia region attended in signature blue shirts, with coverage featured on CNN. Matthew Chen, an ACS CAN volunteer from Kansas, published a compelling op-ed in The Kansas City Star detailing his experience lobbying Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and emphasizing the importance of continued NIH funding for cancer research.While much of our energy has been focused on reconciliation and our cancer research appropriations campaign, ACS CAN continues to advocate for passage of the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (MCED) (H.R. 842/S. 339). We continue to build support for the legislation, with the House bill at a remarkable 247 cosponsors and the Senate bill having 52 cosponsors. The lead sponsors in the House are Representatives Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Terri Sewell (D-AL), and in the Senate, the sponsors are Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mike Bennet (D-CO).ACS CAN endorsed the introduction of the bipartisan Cancer Drug Parity Act (H.R. 4101) introduced by Representatives Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Doris Matsui (D-CA). The bill would lower costs for cancer patients prescribed oral medications by requiring health insurers to cover oral cancer treatments on the same level as traditional intravenous (IV) therapies. ACS CAN showed support for the legislation by submitting a quote for the bipartisan member press release, the Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care press release and elevating the introduction on social media.Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): Following the administration's dismissal of the 17 sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—an independent federal committee that develops recommendations for the use of vaccines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)— ACS CAN called on the administration to ensure there are no disruptions to the issuance of clinical recommendations for clinicians and patients, and that the process continues to be guided by scientific evidence. Subsequently, eight new members were appointed to serve and participate in ACIP's June meeting. ACS and ACS CAN submitted comments in advance of this meeting. Our comments reaffirmed our strong support for the safety and efficacy of the HPV vaccine and emphasized the importance of initiating HPV vaccination at age 9. In addition, we provided recommendations for the ACIP HPV Working Group to consider as they deliberate on the optimal dosing schedule.The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Dr. Susan Monarez to be the Director of the CDC. At an earlier hearing in the Committee, Dr. Monarez affirmed her support for continuing the breast and cervical cancer screening programs as well as strong support for immunization efforts and the ACIP in guiding national vaccine policy. State Updates:In Maine our advocacy efforts resulted in Governor Janet Mills signing the state's budget that includes a $1.50 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax, raising Maine's tax rate to $3.50 per pack. This increase is projected to lead to significant public health benefits, including an estimated 11.2% decrease in smoking among youth under the age of 18.In Pennsylvania, the state legislature passed an ACS CAN endorsed bill to eliminate costs associated with diagnostic breast imaging and supplemental testing, ensuring the full cancer screening process has no cost barriers, a critical pathway to increase screening rates.ACS CAN introduced the new Pacific Region (formerly CGH) in the Cure Region, which comprises the five states and one territory of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Guam, Oregon and Washington.You're Invited!Our volunteer affinity group, Indigenous Volunteer Voices, is hosting two virtual screenings of "Real Lives: Cancer Stories from Indigenous People," an American Cancer Society documentary series that amplifies the voices of American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities affected by cancer. The screenings will be followed by virtual panels featuring the film's storytellers. Please invite and share with your networks! Special screening for Alaska, Hawaii & Guam: Wednesday, August 20, 5:30 pm HST / 7:30 pm AKST / August 21 1:30 pm CSTRegister HereSecond screening: Tuesday, August 26 at 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ETRegister HereIn Case You Missed It: This past month, we celebrated Pride by honoring the resilience and contributions of LGBTQIA+ individuals. We also raised awareness about the cancer disparities affecting LGBTQIA+ communities and highlighted ACS CAN's work to expand access to prevention, early detection, and quality, affordable health care. Our team and volunteers participated in Pride Month activities all across the country, raising awareness and standing in solidarity in the fight for equity in cancer care.Catch up on our Pride Month highlights on social media:FacebookLinkedInInstagramXThreadsBlueSkyAdvocacy In the News:New York Times: White House Unveils New Details of Stark Budget CutsCBS: The price you pay for an Obamacare plan could surge next yearThe Guardian: Cancer experts alarmed over ‘gut-wrenching’ Trump plan to cut research spending by billionsMedical Economics: Health care groups continue warnings of dire consequences as Senate deliberates on Big Beautiful BillNewsweek: Thousands of Smokers To Be Hit With 200% Tax Hike On July 1: What To KnowBangor Daily News: Protect Medicaid so cancer doesn’t become a death sentence for many MainersHomer News: Not fishing favors – Alaskans need basic health care accessCharlotte Observer: Medicaid coverage is at risk. How Charlotte woman said it saved her lifeTelemundo San Antonio: Medicaid Cuts Could Affect Texans (Spanish)Columbia Missourian: Hawley must stay strong against cuts to MedicaidArizona Daily Star: Local opinion: Medicaid saved my mother’s lifeSalt Lake Tribune: How Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ could affect health care for thousands of Utahns
