CLC Policy Issues: Other

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The undersigned cancer organizations urge you to include in the final stimulus package (HR. 1) assistance for uninsured Americans to purchase COBRA coverage. Our organizations, representing cancer patients, physicians, and researchers, observe every day the impact of loss of health insurance on cancer survivors. COBRA payment assistance will help cancer patients gain access to necessary cancer care.

A report released recently by the American Cancer Society and Kaiser Family Foundation describes the gaps in insurance coverage that confront insured Americans who have cancer, and among the problems identified was the high cost of COBRA coverage. Paying for COBRA is a very heavy burden for those with low incomes. Cancer survivors often cannot pay for COBRA coverage, as they find themselves with reduced incomes and depleted assets as a result of their cancer diagnosis.

COBRA payment assistance meets the standards for inclusion in the stimulus package, because access to health insurance for cancer patients will mean utilization of health care services to help them in their battle against cancer.

We urge you to include the most generous possible COBRA payment assistance in the stimulus package.

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Psychosocial Oncology Society
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network
Breast Cancer Network of Strength
C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition
The Children's Cause for Cancer Advocacy
Coalition of Cancer CooperativeGroups
Fertile Hope
Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lymphoma Research Foundation
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Lung Cancer Partnership
National Patient Advocate Foundation
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Prevent Cancer Foundation
Sarcoma Foundation of America
Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network
The Wellness Community

cc:        The Honorable John Boehner
            Minority Leader
            United States House of Representatives

            The Honorable Mitch McConnell
            Minority Leader
            United States Senate

            The Honorable Steny Hoyer
            Majority Leader
            United States House of Representatives

            The Honorable Eric Cantor
            Minority Whip
            United States House of Representatives

            The Honorable Daniel Inouye
            The Honorable Max Baucus
            The Honorable Thad Cochran
            The Honorable Charles Grassley
            The Honorable David Obey
            The Honorable Charles Rangel
            The Honorable Henry Waxman
            The Honorable Jerry Lewis
            The Honorable Dave Camp


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		CLC Urges COBRA Assistance in Stimulus Package (February 11, 2009) February 11, 2009 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Harry Reid Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Madame Speaker and Mr. Leader: The undersigned cancer organizations urge you to include in the final stimulus package (HR. 1) assistance for uninsured Americans to purchase COBRA coverage. Our organizations, representing cancer patients, physicians, and researchers, observe every day the impact of loss of health insurance on cancer survivors. COBRA payment assistance will help cancer patients gain access to necessary cancer care. A report released recently by the American Cancer Society and Kaiser Family Foundation describes the gaps in insurance coverage that confront insured Americans who have cancer, and among the problems identified was the high cost of COBRA coverage. Paying for COBRA is a very heavy burden for those with low incomes. Cancer survivors often cannot pay for COBRA coverage, as they find themselves with reduced incomes and depleted assets as a result of their cancer diagnosis. COBRA payment assistance meets the standards for inclusion in the stimulus package, because access to health insurance for cancer patients will mean utilization of health care services to help them in their battle against cancer. We urge you to include the most generous possible COBRA payment assistance in the stimulus package. Sincerely, Cancer Leadership Council American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network American Psychosocial Oncology Society Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Breast Cancer Network of Strength C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition The Children's Cause for Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Cancer CooperativeGroups Fertile Hope Lance Armstrong Foundation The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Lymphoma Research Foundation National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship National Lung Cancer Partnership National Patient Advocate Foundation Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Prevent Cancer Foundation Sarcoma Foundation of America Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network The Wellness Community cc: The Honorable John Boehner Minority Leader United States House of Representatives The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader United States Senate The Honorable Steny Hoyer Majority Leader United States House of Representatives The Honorable Eric Cantor Minority Whip United States House of Representatives The Honorable Daniel Inouye The Honorable Max Baucus The Honorable Thad Cochran The Honorable Charles Grassley The Honorable David Obey The Honorable Charles Rangel The Honorable Henry Waxman The Honorable Jerry Lewis The Honorable Dave Camp Back to Other Index About CLC \| What's New \| Policy Issues \| Participants' Login Home \| Sitemap \| Contact Info Copyright © 2001-2002 Cancer Leadership Council. All rights reserved. Please send comments and suggestions to webmaster@cancerleadership.org.