New York State is making progress but still must take further action when it comes to supporting policies and passing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer. Passing and implementing the policy recommendations in the report would not only save lives in Alaska, but also save millions in long-term health care costs and in some cases would even generate additional, much-needed revenue.
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The American Cancer Society recommends that the New York State Department of Health develop a campaign to educate the public about palliative care and a patient’s rights to receive it.
On this year’s report, only three states met six out of the nine benchmarks that were measured and no state met seven or more, so she says Iowa isn’t doing bad, comparatively.
The report uses a color-coded system. Kansas draws praise for raising tobacco taxes this year, for cancer pain control policies, and for its statewide Indoor Clean Air Act.
Missouri likewise fell short in six policy areas: cigarette tax rates (it has the lowest in the nation, at 17 cents a pack); smoke-free laws; tobacco prevention funding; indoor tanning restrictions; breast and cervical cancer early detection; and increased access to Medicaid (Missouri, like Kansas, has not expanded Medicaid eligibility).
Bill Sherman, vice president for government relations for the Eastern Division of the Cancer Action Network, says many people believe palliative care is for the end of life, but it can benefit patients at any stage of a disease. An increase of $1 would help reduce tobacco consumption while also generating up to $468 million annually. “Only when you tackle tobacco use through a comprehensive approach can we really effectively overcome the country’s tobacco epidemic”. Cussimanio says lawmakers should not look at these programs as an expense. “You’re reducing your expenditures in other areas of state spending”. The Iowa Legislature has yet to pass a bill limiting indoor tanning to those 18 and older. Tanning bed use before the age of 35 is linked to a 59 percent increase in a person’s risk of developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
The report may not have a direct bearing on efforts to win National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer cetner designation for the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
According to the report, 24 states, including Nebraska, have laws requiring that all workplaces be smoke-free. You know, 350 people a year die of auto accidents in the state of Iowa.
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Bryan Thompson is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.
