A coalition including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network^SM (ACS CAN) and nine other organizations today launched a nationwide television advertising campaign that links fixing health care to fixing the economy and urges Congress to take immediate action to reform health care for the millions of people who are uninsured or underinsured.  In addition to ACS CAN, members of the Healthy Economy Now coalition include AARP, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the American Medical Association (AMA), the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, the Business Roundtable, Families USA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

The ad will begin airing this week and will continue to run for the next six weeks nationally on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, and locally in six states and the District of Columbia. A list of target media markets can be found in the Communications Materials Library (CML) [Link] and in the Access to Care community on the Link. The ad only mentions the name of the Healthy Economy Now coalition and does not feature the logos or names of individual coalition members.

The ad campaign does not promote a specific health care reform plan but will focus on the critical impact health care costs have on the economy. The campaign is part of ACS CAN’s ongoing work in the health care reform policy debate to ensure that lawmakers consider the interests of cancer patients, survivors, and their families as legislation is drafted. It is the latest in a series of ACS CAN health care reform collaborations with different organizations, which have included work with many of the groups listed above. ACS CAN’s health care reform effort is a component of the Society’s and ACS CAN’s joint initiative to improve access to care for all Americans, which is critical to achieving the Society’s mission.

A public relations agency working on behalf of the coalition will conduct targeted national media outreach in support of the ad campaign launch.  A press release, which includes a quote from Society and ACS CAN CEO John R. Seffrin, PhD, and the final version of the ad are available in the CML [Link] and in the Access to Care community on the Link. Information about the Healthy Economy Now coalition can be found at http://www.healthyeconomynow.org.   Additional information about the Society’s and ACS CAN’s joint Access to Care initiative and ACS CAN’s Health Care Reform campaign can be found in the Access to Care community on the Link.

Divisions that receive media inquiries should contact Steve Weiss, senior director, communications and media advocacy for ACS CAN, or Trista Hargrove, associate director, media advocacy for ACS CAN to coordinate efforts.