Kristen Santiago
ksantiago@LUNGevity.org
(240) 454-3105
WASHINGTON, DC (January 29, 2020) — LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, today announced the upcoming February 6 release of its first-ever Lung Cancer Scorecard that grades individual states on policies that support access to optimal care for lung cancer patients. These grades were assigned based upon five factors: coverage for lung cancer screening, coverage for comprehensive biomarker testing, Medicaid expansion, lung cancer incidence, and lung cancer survival.
“Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer death and is arguably one of the biggest public health cancer challenges,” said Andrea Ferris, President and CEO of LUNGevity. “While there have been great advancements in the early detection and treatment of lung cancer, there is still much room for improvement. Our goal with this new state Lung Cancer Scorecard is to evaluate how states are approaching lung cancer and identify solutions to help ensure that everyone diagnosed with the disease regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-demographics or geography has access to optimal cancer care and benefit from the scientific advancements being made.”
The full results will be unveiled on Thursday, February 6, at 2:30pm during a press conference on Capitol Hill, in Room 122 of the Cannon House Office Building. Following that event, LUNGevity will post the entire scorecard online at www.LungCancerScore.org. To register to attend, please click here.
Preliminary results indicate that only four states received an “A” grade for their policies that improve access to optimal care – Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington.
Additionally, it was noted by researchers that there is a direct correlation between the expansion of Medicaid and how states performed in improving lung cancer outcomes. Of the 14 states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid coverage, only one, Florida, received a “C” grade or better.
To learn more about LUNGevity’s work on lung cancer, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing support services and education for patients and caregivers. LUNGevity’s goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in accessing the right treatments.
LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by funding and accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. LUNGevity’s comprehensive resources include a medically vetted website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical Trial Ambassador program, and participation with EmergingMed.
Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, a four-star Charity Navigator organization, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.