PROBLEM:
Across Georgia, people are struggling to access and afford the health care that they need.
Rx in Reach is committed to advocating for legislation that ends financial and discriminatory barriers to lifesaving medications and treatments that Georgia patients continue to face.
The Rx in Reach GA Coalition consists of members from 48 health-centered organizations representing physicians, nurses, patients and community organizations, advocating for polices and legislation that ends financial and discriminatory barriers to securing vital medical care, treatments and medications.
President Biden recently declared April 2024 the inaugural National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month.
This is an important step in raising awareness of the significant progress that has been made in the cancer prevention and early detection space. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 60,000 Georgians will be diagnosed with cancer and over 18,000 Georgia patients will die from the disease. Improving access to early cancer screenings for all Georgians is a critical step in achieving the goal within the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative to cut the national cancer death rate in half over the next twenty-five years.
Solutio
Rx in Reach Ga Coalition has been engaged to prioritize and pass federal legislation on Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (MCED); H.R 2407 / S. 2085.
This bill allows for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types.
The promise of MCED is a bold step in to ensure policy keeps pace with innovation. We will continue to work toward passage of this critical legislation to make access to cancer breakthroughs a reality for everyone.
"I have been diagnosed with narcolepsy due to MS, and rely on a daily medication to stay awake. After getting a new insurance plan, I couldn't refill my medication and was told to go through a mail-order pharmacy. It took three months of making regular calls between the mail-order pharmacy and my doctor's office, and mitigating unnecessary mistakes to get my prescription filled. "
Kristine Werner,
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Smyrna, GA