State Legislative Priorities 2008-2009

Priority 1 – Guaranteed Access to Quality Health Care for All Ohioans. We will not end breast cancer until all women have guaranteed access to quality health care regardless of their ability to pay. We are committed to ensuring all efforts to broaden coverage for uninsured Ohioans includes parity for coverage of breast cancer screening and treatment according to our Position Statement on Quality Breast Cancer Care

1. Access to all the care you need when you need it
2. Information that is complete and correct
3. Choice about your doctors and your treatment
4. Respect from everyone in the health care system
5. Accountability so there is a way to fix problems
6. Improvement in the system so breast cancer care continues to get better

To accomplish this goal, members of OBCAC have convened an Ohio Breast Cancer Study Group to:

1. Measure the quality of breast cancer care for uninsured and underinsured Ohio women
2. Determine gaps in access to quality breast cancer care for screening and treatment in all of Ohio’s system of health care
3. Develop goals and effective strategies for improving Ohio’s breast cancer care system
4. Develop guidelines to evaluate effectiveness of health care reform strategies in improving breast cancer care
5. Develop tools to educate advocates, stakeholders and the public at large about ways to improve Ohio’s breast cancer care system

Priority 2 – Improvement of Ohio’s Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program to Include Option 3. We will not reduce mortality in Ohio until all uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancers have access to timely, affordable treatment.

Ohio’s current program, Option 1 of the Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, serves only a small fraction of the women eligible.

Priority 3 – Improvement of Ohio’s Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening Program by requiring participating screening providers to educate eligible patients about the program and encourage enrollment.

Priority 4 – Inclusion of Ohio’s Breast Cancer License Plate with other Ohio specialty license plates in displays at Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Field Registrar Offices. Since introduction of the Breast Cancer specialty license plate for public sale in 2005, the Ohio BMV has not allowed public display of the plate’s artwork in its field registrar offices. Funds generated from the sale of the license plate provide emergency financial assistance to Ohio breast cancer patients and support improved access to quality health care.

Members of Ohio Breast Cancer Action Coalition

Northern Ohio Breast Cancer Coalition Fund

Sisters Network NE Ohio

Women To Women Support Group - Canton, OH