Bethany Zell was an NBCC advocate in Maine ten years before her own breast cancer diagnosis – and she never imagined that she would directly benefit from NBCC’s work.
“I was a caregiver, and I got involved in the breast cancer advocacy space with my best friend’s journey.”
Advocacy “was always personal because I cared about the people I was helping, but having my own diagnosis makes it more of a passion to me. I am better able to speak for others knowing that I’m part of the community,” Bethany said.
Bethany was self-employed and didn’t have health insurance when she was diagnosed. But thanks to the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, which Congress enacted in 2000 because of NBCC’s leadership, she was able to get diagnosed and treated. This law allowed enhanced matching funds to states to provide Medicaid coverage to uninsured or underinsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a federal screening program.
The program helped Bethany and many others afford their breast cancer treatment.
“My jaw hit the floor when I realized I was covered,” she said. “I’d been advocating for the program, but I had no idea how far it extended. I was really grateful that I knew the NBCC people who made this possible through their advocacy.”
Bethany’s story exemplifies why advocacy matters and makes a difference. We must keep up the fight because Medicaid cuts are slamming low-income families and health care premiums are rising, while anti-science rhetoric is seeping into policy.
Bethany notes that she continues to advocate with NBCC to Congress to support important policies like extending the ACA’s tax credits, research funding, and the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act.
Tell Congress to Extend the ACA tax credits
As Bethany says, access to care “is something more that breast cancer patients have to worry about when they’re already worrying about cancer.”
That’s why NBCC remains committed to ensuring everyone diagnosed with breast cancer has access to the treatment they need and will continue to prioritize this issue.
“You’ve got people who are relying on Medicaid… and cutting off their access to the treatments and the resources that are going to help them is very much crippling,” she said. “You can’t leave people high and dry that way… it’s devastating.”
Bethany’s story highlights what’s at stake: breast cancer patients’ lifesaving care is under attack, as well as the research that leads to new treatments and the programs that help support them. NBCC is here to make certain none of this happens. We won’t back down. And we need your support so we can stay strong.
Support NBCC’s work to fight for the breast cancer community today.
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