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In Support of H.R. 3962

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16 Comments

Below is a letter we sent yesterday to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the White House in support of H.R. 3962 ? the Affordable Health Care for America Act. We also sent letters to members of the House. We are joined by a number of other organizations in support of the House bill, including the American Cancer Society, AARP, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, National Patient Advocate Foundation and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

It is important to remember that today?s House vote is still relatively early in the process. If supporters manage to pass a bill in the House, attention will then turn to the Senate. Senate supporters are in the process of putting the final Senate bill language together. If the Senate is able to pass a bill, then both versions will need to be reconciled in a conference committee to develop a final bill. The House and Senate would then have to pass the final version before it goes to the President?s desk. LIVESTRONG will continue to engage lawmakers on Capitol Hill throughout this process as the health care reform debate continues.

November 6, 2009

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

On behalf of more than 12 million people living with cancer in the United States, LIVESTRONG urges you to support H.R. 3962 ? the Affordable Health Care for America Act. We believe this is a key vote for people affected by cancer.

LIVESTRONG unites people to fight cancer. We engage the public at large to pursue an agenda focused on preventing cancer, ensuring access to screening and care, improving the quality of life and survivorship for people affected by cancer, and investing in needed research.

The challenges faced by most Americans in health care are clearly reflected in how people living with cancer are served by our system. In cancer, prevention, screening, early detection and access to continuing care are essential. Study after study has shown that those who lack insurance or who are underinsured have higher cancer mortality rates than those who have insurance and therefore better access to care.

H.R. 3962 includes many provisions that will improve the lives of people affected by cancer. The bill prohibits insurance companies from excluding coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions and eliminates annual and lifetime spending limits that can cause cancer patients to run out of insurance benefits during treatment. The legislation also provides access to proven cancer screening methods for millions of Americans.

Congress has an opportunity to change the way that our country is fighting cancer by passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act. LIVESTRONG urges you to vote in support of this legislation.

Sincerely,

Lance Armstrong, Founder and Chairman
Doug Ulman, President and CEO

  • Becky Brandt

    You cannot speak on behalf of 12 million people who you have no idea what their political views on this bill are. The only thing that brings us together is cancer, not political views. And I find it horribly disturbing you would try to speak on their behalf. This bill will in fact make it worse for people with cancer as many will be denied treatment and written off. Unfortunately, I have lost all respect for the LiveStrong organization because of this..

  • barbara Johnson

    I am so very disappointed that the Livestrong Foundation is supporting the HR3962 Health Reform Bill. Most people clearly do not understand the ramifications for every American, expenditures or limits on care that this bill contains. You say it will improve care for cancer patients, while it certainly will not. Utilization Management will restrict care of certain patients, age groups and cancer diagnoses. You have not explained that. You have come out in support of a political group, rather than in support of cancer patients and cancer treatment and research centers. Your request to sign a message to Congress in support of insurers not being able to deny patients for preexisting conditions, or certain care was deceitfully worded and did not include support for this bill. I am sure it was statistically included in the support category. I, too have lost all respect for the Livestrong Organization. Passage of this bill will kill my son, as he has one of the currently incurable types of cancer. While Lance Armstrong did not have health insurance, he was a wealthy man, and certainly bit in the same financial circumstances as other Americans. Shame on Lance, and shame on Livestrong.
    What were you thinking?

  • http://www.joyridesnh.com/ Scott Joy

    The day will come when every American citizen has access to affordable health care. That’s not yet so, and it must be changed.

    H.R. 3962 is available for all to read: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

  • Alec Kolodge

    Becky,
    I’m sorry to hear that you have lost “all respect for the livestrong organization because of this” but you are only ONE American! and by the way its LIVESTRONG(all caps) or Lance Armstrong Foundation(not “organization”). Please try to think on behalf of the other 11,999,999 people with cancer. The world does NOT revolve around you!

  • Kevin Anderson

    NICE JOB MR. KOLODGE!

  • http://livestrong.org Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff)

    Barbara-

    We are very sorry to hear about your son. if you have questions about available treatments including clinical trials that your son would be eligible for, please let us know. You can call 1-866-673-7205 for more information about these programs.

    As for Lance- Lance actually did not have health insurance. He was also not able to pay for his own treatment at the time of his diagnosis. He was a young 25 year old man at the very beginning of his career. It was thanks to an incredibly supportive sponsor, Oakley, that he was able to get the care he needed. He was lucky to have this kind of support, not wealthy and we know this is not the case for most uninsured people facing cancer. This is why we supported this bill and this is why we will continue to support legislation that will care for the uninsured, underinsured and uninsurable.

  • Greg

    Nor does the world revolve around you Mr. Kolodge.

    Mrs. Johnson brought up an important point about the bill. The bill taxes health accounts. The bill taxes medical equipment. Well who needs flexible spending accounts for medicine and medical euipment like wheelchairs. Sick people like cancer patients need these things. If you read the bill you will find out that this is how it is paid for.
    And for the 20% of older Americans who choose Medicare Advantage over traditional Medicare, because Advantage provides extra benefits like dental and vision – well Congress decided that’s not fair. Another example of poor legislative leadership.

    Bad call on this one LIVESTRONG. THis bill is terrible and it will not fix what is inherently wrong with the health care system. Some of us out here actually do read the bills and not just the talking points memo. I wish your organization would have done that.

  • Theresa

    LIVESTRONG Org.

    I understand that some health care is better than no healthcare but, I don’t agree that this is the “bill” that will address and fill the needs of all people. Not sure that you can speak for all 12 million people with cancer in regard to political views.

    My only hope in all of this is that when the next President is elected…that this will be re-visited and amended. How can people who cannot afford health insurance…be forced to buy it?

  • ninci

    You know what? Give it a chance to work before you convince yourself it won’t. I have too many friends w/o insurance or people in deadend jobs just for the insurance. Insurance companies are not altruistic. They will keep the poor and ill away and leave them to die from treatable conditions. People will continue to die early from cancer because they cannot afford chemo, radiation, surgeries. Why wouldn’t you support an effort to save them? You don’t have to like Obama to want these people to live. You don’t have to be a democrat either. If Bush had done so, I would have supported it.
    Being “forced” to buy insurance? Please actually READ the bill and UNDERSTAND before repeating the jargon you hear. Its not socialist, fascist or communist (and there IS a difference b/t the 3, Google is your friend) to want all people to get quality care. America is the only country in the developed world that doesn’t care for its people in such a way.
    Before you question my motives, I have worked for researchers, pharmachems, corps AND lost my beloved mother to cancer recently. I’ve held horrible jobs just so I could get proper healthcare. I work mostly to keep insurance for my family. Because all it takes is one surgery to bankrupt us. I’ve had THREE in less than 2 years… the cheapest was about $40k.
    Can you pay that out in cash w/o insurance? If not, STFU and give the gov’t the opportunity to do right by its people. If the system fails, at least they tried. Better than anyone else has in many years.
    Stop acting like having insurance is something someone has to ‘force’. Poor and sick people would LOVE to qualify to get it. Insurance corps won’t let them.
    I am saddened and shocked by the lack of compassion, the ignorance and selfishness in the comments here. Its all good for you and screw everyone else because you have care. How nice, how patriotic (not!).

  • thomas quinn

    Lance:

    You must have fallen out of the saddle and hit your head to support this cluster**** of a bill.

    I will continue to follow your cycling career and to ignore your politics!

  • mark

    I am a cancer survivor and I do not support the bill so please do not speak on my behalf.

  • livestrongsupporter

    LAF and Doug,
    I’m disappointed that you’re supporting this bill. I thought based on earlier letters that you weren’t going to back any specific bills but rather, you’d support only principles that you hope would be in a bill.

    I am the son of a two time cancer survivor and the grandson of a strong, proud woman who died from it. My mother in law lost a kidney to cancer and I’m all for ending suffering due to cancer. I’m for finding a cure. I’m for the LIVESTRONG message and I support the LAF with my dollars too. So take this as you would take advice or disagreement from family. I can back a bill that has a lot of parts in it, but I can’t back a bill where the government runs a healthcare plan and makes decisions on what will and will not be covered by allowing politicians and beaurocrats to have the final say.

    I believe the following things about this bill:
    1- It will slow drug development because the market for these drugs will be set by the government.
    2- It may bankrupt our country. The government has never shown an ability to control costs. For a history lesson see the original estimates on Medicare and Medicaid.
    3- There are better ways to achieve full coverage and reduce costs and improve care/outcomes.
    4- The bill will encourage people to drop private coverage.
    5- It allows the government into our lives in a way that encourages people to be dependent on the government rather than independent citizens.
    6- Government controlled pay rates for doctors will discourage the best and brightest from becoming doctors. Who wants to deal with the beaurocracy if you can’t even afford your student loans on what they’re paying you?

    That is just the first 6. I won’t bore you with the rest. I think covering people who can’t afford insurance is a fine idea if we the people want it. I agree there should be no caps on coverage, we should have more portability, no preexisting condition restrictions, etc. We are in agreement on these points, but I can’t support this bill and wish you wouldn’t either.

    Sincerely,

    LIVESTRONG Supporter

  • Rod Copeland

    I have tossed my bracelet and will no longer support LIVESTRONG due to its political position in regard to healthcare.
    I am a cancer survivor, currently in chemo therapy, and am appalled that this organization has become a liberal political tool.
    Stick with fighting cancer, and get out politics.
    The proposed healthcare bill will be devastating to cancer patients.

  • Jere Carpentier

    I am personally proud to say I am for the bill. I believe it will help more people than it will hurt. Those who have insurance issues…as in none…or a cap they will surely meet…will be greatly relieved to have an option. Remember, it is an option…you are not required to participate. A better chance to live a longer life because of the medical support. GO LAF!!!

  • Larry Johnson

    As a supporter of @Livestrong and and H.R.3962 I take issue with those who don’t want government run health care. I keep getting notices of new benefits from Medicare. Thank God I have it because I have had an open-reduction for a fractured and two cataract surgeries within 6 months. Millions of us still proudly wear our yellow bands, and never take them off!

  • Mattie Fuller

    I think what LIVESTRONG has failed to see in this is that the government providing health care is no guarantee against people being denied treatment. They may all have “coverage”, but actually getting the drugs and procedures that are necessary is a completely different issue. After all, despite the experiences of some, Medicare/Medicaid denies a greater percentage of claims than any other insurer. I’m very disappointed that LIVESTRONG opted to support a bill that will have such negative implications, not only on our health care system, but on employment, the economy and who knows what else at this point.