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Guest Blog By Brittany Freeman

The American Cancer Society is proud to congratulate Georgians for a Healthy Future on its recent launch. We are honored to share in the work of this organization that is dedicated to developing solutions and strategies that address Georgians’ need for accessible, adequate, affordable quality health care.

The American Cancer Society has been a strong advocate for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and others since its inception. Both on the legislative front and in every community, the American Cancer Society is dedicated to expanding access to care to more individuals. Like Georgians for a Healthy Future, we believe that health care should be available, affordable, adequate and administratively simple – we refer to these as our “4 A’s”. Health care that meets these four standards, promotes prevention and focuses on quality of life will support our work to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

Throughout the summer and into the fall, we continue to be involved in the health care reform debate at the federal level. Our efforts have included engaging volunteers in every congressional district throughout the country; participating in national coalitions including the Health Reform Dialogue, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and the Preventive Health Partnership; providing expert information to Congressional hearings and to members of Congress; and providing information and resources to the public.

Recently, the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) were recognized for their ongoing work in a survey released by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The survey revealed that the American Cancer Society is the most trusted among all the interest groups involved in health care. In fact, 79 percent of those surveyed said they trust the Society to “recommend the right thing for the country when it comes to health care,” a higher percentage than any other group. The survey also found that groups representing patients are more trusted overall than all other groups except those representing nurses.

As in years past, the American Cancer Society will also be active in health care efforts at the state level. Each legislative proposal pertaining to health care or health insurance will be analyzed closely according to the “4 A’s”. Our position on key bills will be communicated to our volunteers statewide. These volunteers, our advocates, will communicate our position and their own personal stories to our state legislators in an effort to ensure that the needs of those with cancer are not forgotten. People have been asking is the home caregiver also compensated with healthcare, right now not but maybe in future, find the right In home caregiver for you.

We look forward to a continued relationship with many organizations who share our goal to ensure access to care to every Georgian. We are proud to add Georgians for a Healthy Future to our list of partners.