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A Step Forward

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4 Comments

The following blog was originally published last night on Doug’s Posterous Blog: http://livestrongceo.posterous.com

Tonight we witnessed history. As an advocate for the millions of family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and fellow Americans who have battled cancer, and those who will unfortunately be diagnosed with cancer in the future, I am thrilled that so many provisions critical to those individuals are included in this legislation.

Is this new piece of legislation perfect? Absolutely not.

Will it provide immediate benefit to millions of cancer survivors? Yes it will.

I am proud and honored to see such progress for my fellow cancer survivors.

On a personal note, I will benefit from this legislation as I will no longer face the very discrimination that so many of my fellow survivors face today. When I was diagnosed with cancer three times at the age of 19 I had no idea I would face discrimination based on my previous illness. That barrier has been removed tonight.

Young adults all across the country will benefit from the flexibility of being able to stay on their parent’s insurance plan until the age of 26. Children all across our nation will now have health insurance and their families will not live in fear of sickness that could cost them their lives and their financial future.

Politics aside, this piece of legislation will greatly improve the lives of those with cancer and that is what is important to my colleagues and I at LIVESTRONG.

Is it perfect? No.

Is it progress? Yes.

  • Jennifer Smith

    As a five year breast cancer survivor, I am so grateful to Livestrong, Komen, the American Cancer Society, and every other advocacy group that had the courage to stand with President Obama and give cancer survivors a voice with this historic legislation. No one should have to declare bankruptcy or lose their home because they were unfortunate enough to get sick in the United States. We are the only industrialized nation that has allowed this to happen to their citizens. No, this bill is not perfect, but it is the first step to making health care available to all American citizens so that we all have the opportunity to live strong. Thank you for all that you do!

  • Carl Brown

    I am a cancer survivor and patient. I have been in favor of universal single-payer for years, and this isn’t it. I would like to be able to say that I support this legislation as a step in the right direction, but before I can do that, I have a few questions. Since the media coverage and public discussion have been so utterly skewed, biased, and filled with mis- and dis-information, I’m confused, and I’m finding it difficult to not be cynical. For that, I apologize, but I think that these are valid questions.

    Does anybody know what is actually in it?

    Does any part of it take effect before 2014?

    What immediate benefits does it have for cancer patients?

    Is it anything other than yet another corporate welfare bill written by the very industry that it is allegedly intended to regulate?

  • http://none barbara ohio

    As a cancer survivor and, also, someone who, over the years, had to take advantage of Medicaid, I must say that throughout the years there has always been the Medicaid system. Also, if low income persons need help with large balances, you simply need to talk to someone at the hospital and they will work out payments and/or write off balances depending on your need. This “health care fiasco” is costing our children and grandchildren, they will never know the lives we had led, as this debt will carry over for generations to come. What is your answer to our children and grandchildren. “We” needed help now, sorry for you who follow. Good luck? Absurd! To worry about this issue now, when our economy is in freefall shows both the immaturity and deviousness of this administration and a small percentage of our naive, under informed citizenry.

  • chris

    what if anything does it does it do for the unemployed and uninsured people of america i ask because i have been in the hospital 19 times in the past year due to diabetes and heart problems