By Leigh Ann Rutledge
Accent Editor
May 13, 2008

The "bus" was in the house.  Sorry, Steeler fans, not Jerome Bettis but the American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Action Network (CAN) Fight Back Express.  The bus, driver and staff spent the night at Carrollton Days Inn May 8 on their way from Steubenville to the Akron/Canton area. 

ACS CAN is sponsoring a nationwide bus tour with the goal of building a grassroots movement united in its mission to make cancer a top national priority.  The message is "If one person can battle cancer, a nation can rise up and defeat it."  This 6-month tour will highlight the crucial role elected officials play in supporting laws and policies that help people fight cancer.

Launched May 4 in Cleveland and running through Election Day, Nov. 4, the bus will travel to the 48 contiguous states for a total of more than 25,000 miles.  While making its trek across the United States, visitors can sign the petition calling for access to quality health care of all Americans. 

ACS CAN wants to educate the public, lawmakers, candidates and media about the importance of government's role in expanding access to care to those 47 million uninsured Americans.  Scientific discovery alone will not defeat cancer.  Lack of access to timely, quality healthcare impedes progress against this disease and is the greatest barrier to winning the war on cancer.  Individuals and families who lack meaningful insurance often forgo routine screenings and when they become sick, they are forced to resort to less costly and less effective treatments. 

ACS is handing out a "Statement of Principles:  The 4As" to everyone visiting the tour stops. The 4As are:  Adequate, Available, Affordable and Administratively Simple health insurance.  

Adequate health insurance means:

Timely access and coverage of the complete continuum of quality, evidence-based healthcare services (i.e., rational, science-based, patient-centered), including prevention and early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

Supportive services should be available as appropriate, including access to clinical trials, chronic disease management and palliative care.

Coverage with sufficient annual and lifetime benefits to cover catastrophic expenditures.

Available health insurance means:

Coverage will be available regardless of health status, or claims history.
Policies are renewable.

Coverage is continuous.

Affordable health insurance means:
Cost including premiums, deductibles, co-pays and total out-of-pocket expenditure limits, are not excessive and are based on the family's or individual's ability to pay.

Premium pricing is not based on health status or claims experience.
Administratively Simple health care means:

Clear, up-front explanations of covered benefits, financial liability, billing procedures and processes for filing claims, grievances, and appeals are easily understood and timely, and required forms are readily comprehensible by consumers, providers and regulators.

Consumers can readily compare and contrast the different health insurance plans available and can navigate health insurance transactions and transitions.

Frank Shoemaker of Pennsylvania is the driver of the bus or "The Rolling Petition" as ACS CAN members refer to it.  Shoemaker said, "Our goal is to visit as many communities as we can to spread the word." 

He explained the sides of the bus are like "gigantic bumper stickers."  When the entire area of the bus is covered, they peel those messages off and place new stickers on the sides until the end of their trip.  Messages that are taken off will be displayed on foam boards.   Visitors to the mobile action center have the opportunity to share their story with their members of Congress through the "Picture A Cure" computer program and sign a petition to support access to quality healthcare for all Americans. 

Shoemaker's participation in this journey is more than just a job.  He stated, "I lost my father to cancer in the 80s and the issues we went through then are the same ones being faced today.  I don't want people to have to go through that."  Shoemaker is honored to be driving "The Rolling Petition."  "I get to meet a lot of people.  Some of their messages are simply supporting the cause and others...well, they just really get you."

The latest figures released by ACS from 2000-2004 show there were 55,880 new invasive cancer cases and 24,894 cancer deaths in Ohio.  Carroll County statistics for the same time frame include:  145 new cases broken down to 23-lung & bronchus; 19-breast; 19-prostate; 20-colon & rectum; and 64-other.  Breakdown of deaths in Carroll County for the same time frame are:  61 total with 21-lung & bronchus; 6-breast; 4-prostate; 6-colon & rectum and 24-other.

The mission of ACS is "The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service."

For more information about cancer prevention, symptoms and treatment, visit www.cancer.org.  For information regarding ACS CAN and the Fight Back Express, visit www.acscan.org.