FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Mike Maguire, Media Advocacy
American Cancer Society
Phone: (651) 255-8130
Email: mike.maguire@cancer.org

ST. PAUL, MINN – September 17, 2007  — Presenting what it calls the ‘face of a crisis,’ the American Cancer Society today launched an unprecedented public awareness campaign demonstrating the struggle uninsured Americans face when told they have cancer. Much of the campaign was filmed in Minnesota and featured cancer survivors from Virginia, Minnesota to St. Paul and Mountain Lake.

"After tobacco use, lack of coverage and inadequate health care in the United States could be the biggest barrier we face in our national fight against cancer," said Ruth Parriott the Society’s Midwest Division Government Relations Director. "Cancer is Americans’ number one health concern. To beat cancer people must have access to routine cancer screenings that detect cancer early and the high-quality treatments that are their best hope of surviving cancer."

An estimated 47 million Americans do not have health insurance and untold millions more mistakenly believe they are covered. One ad tells the story of St. Paul’s Kathy Merkel. She lost her job, didn’t have health insurance and within weeks found out she had stage III breast cancer.

Cancer survivor Jordana McKinney, 27 of Mountain Lake, MN, appears in another ad. Her medical history with cancer drove health insurance premiums so high she struggled to find a job where she could help support her family and maintain health care coverage. "This is a crisis," she says "not just a cancer crisis, and certainly not simply political crisis – it’s a crisis for families in Minnesota and across the country."

"We have made tremendous progress in the fight against cancer, but that progress will not continue unless all Americans have access to quality health care," said Maribeth Swenty, the Society’s Vice-President in Minnesota.

"People expect that their insurance will cover them when they most need it," Parriott says. "Unfortunately, millions of Americans find out too late that their insurance is inadequate,

and as a consequence they face substantial financial burdens, including being denied the care they need. No one should have to choose between taking care of their health and paying their bills."

The American Cancer Society has issued four principles defining meaningful health insurance and highlight major problems in the health care system that are impeding progress against cancer and other major diseases. According to the Society meaningful health coverage is adequate, affordable, available and administratively simple. Corinne Ertz, the Society’s Minnesota Director of Government Relations explains that the Society is not endorsing any state or federal legislation.

"We’re not endorsing any particular approach," she says, "We’re saying cancer patients desperately need meaningful action and meaningful coverage."

The public awareness campaign directs Americans to the Society’s Web site, www.cancer.org, and encourages them to learn more about access to quality cancer care while sharing their own stories. Consumers can also join the Society’s sister advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
in its grassroots campaign to make certain the issue is a priority in the 2008 elections. 

"It's a battle the American Cancer Society is fighting on behalf of every American -- regardless of their financial ability or health care history," says Swenty. "Is the choice between losing your life and losing everything really a choice?"

To learn more about the Society's efforts or how you can get involved, visit www.cancer.org/access or call 1-800-ACS-2345.