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By: Erin Smith
For one Bladen County resident, Wednesday’s annual Day at the Capitol event held in Raleigh, was an opportunity for her to lobby for a cause she is most passionate about—Cancer.
Michelle Fisher, representing the American Cancer Society, was just one of a number of folks and organizations who took advantage fo the opportunity to meet with members of the NC House and NC Senate and talk about issues and bills that affect the daily lives of many here in North Carolina.
Fisher said many organizations were on hand for the event including the March of Dimes, Veterans Affairs, and more who were all lobbying for their respective causes.
“Different organizations were there to plead their case for needed funds or trying to get a bill to pass. Often a bill will get hung up somewhere in a committee and this is an opportunity to help explain to our legislators why a particular bill is so important,” said Fisher.
For Fisher, the mission was focused on one issue she is very passionate about and that is stomping out Cancer.
She said one bill that has passed the NC House and is working its way through the NC Senate is the NC Cancer Treatment Fairness Act. Fisher explained that the bill requests insurance companies to treat the oral chemotherapy pill the same way they treat IV Chemotherapy. Currently, insurance companies in North Carolina do not recognize the oral chemotherapy drug in the same way it recognizes intravenous chemotherapy.
Fisher said for some cancer patients, they do not have transportation to the their treatment locations. She pointed out that someone who lives in Bladen County, for example could potential have to travel to Wilmington, Fayetteville or even Duke to receive their IV Chemotherapy treatments. fi the patient cannot get a ride to those locations, it could mean going without valuable treatments.
“If they are not getting the treatment they need, we know that those are lives we are losing,” said Fisher.
The intent of the NC Cancer Treatment Fairness Act is to get insurance companies in North Carolina to recognize the oral chemotherapy treatment in the same manner it recognizes IV chemotherapy. Fisher said this would make the chemotherapy pill a more affordable option for patients.
“As it stands right now, most cancer patients cannot afford the oral cancer pill,” said Fisher.
By making the pill more affordable, it eliminates the need for some patients to have make arrangements for transportation to a cancer treatment center. Instead, they can receive their therapy in the privacy of their home thanks to the pill.
“Oral cancer treatment can sometimes be the most effective therapy for some types of cancer. Sometimes, it may be the only option for some types of cancer,” said Fisher.
She added that the out-of-pocket costs for oral drugs can be very expensive. With the passage of the NC Cancer Treatment Fairness Act, one benefit is to make more treatment options available and affordable.
Fisher said 41 states have already adopted similar legislation.
“We have people moving out of state to locations where the oral therapy is covered equally and fairly. That impacts our economy,” said Fisher.
Another issue Fisher was discussing with legislators is the lack of funding for Youth Tobacco Cessation programs. In 2012, North Carolina eliminated all funding for its youth tobacco prevention programs. Fisher said that the concern is that teens and youth don’t just smoke, they also are dipping tobacco and using snuff.
“If they get into it, we want to be able to get them out of it,” said Fisher.
She said that by preventing youth and teens from beginning to use tobacco products at an early age, it can save dollars on health care costs in the future.
“If they start using tobacco at a young age, it greatly increases the risks for cancer and other health problems,” said Fisher.
She added that when you bring up tobacco use in North Carolina it is a difficult fight. North Carolina is the largest exporter of tobacco thought the exports have declined, according to ncglobaleconomy.com.
“I’ll keep going and I’ll keep lobbying as long as it takes,” said Fisher.
A third bill that Fisher was lending her support to is NC Senate Bill 296 also known as the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. Fisher said basically the bill would provide funding and encourage convenience stores to offer healthy alternatives and snacks to consumers especially in rural and urban areas.
Fisher said that last year’s lobbying efforts resulted in the passage of new tanning bed regulations that makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to use a tanning bed.
“It was good for North Carolina to get that passed,” said Fisher.
She said the tanning bed bill will hopefully help to prevent teens and youth from developing skin cancers at a young age.
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