The American Cancer Society plans to dedicate its entire $15 million advertising budget this upcoming year 2008 to the consequences of being uninsured in America, according to an article in The New York Times. According to the article, the group cites frustration at cancer rates not dropping as quickly as hoped and recent research indicating that being uninsured leads to a delay in cancer detection as factors in its decision. The advertisements are nonpartisan and don't recommend specific solutions to the U.S. healthcare crisis, but they are intended to raise awareness of this issue as we head into the presidential campaign of 2008.
The TV ads for the campaign include one of images of uninsured cancer patients appearing fearful with a narrator saying, "We're making progress, but it's not enough if people don't have access to the care that could save their lives." Another commercial shows a young mother whose family has gone into serious debt because her insurance did not fully cover her cancer treatments.
I think this sounds like a great use of advertising money. Let's hope the campaign increases awareness among all Americans to press our politicians for change.
1. Will be interesting to see how they handle it. As someone who went through cancer uninsured, and whose life has been absolutely redefined by medical and insurance expenses I do hope that something is done to patch this big crack in the American Dream.
Regards,
Richard Day Gore
Posted at 7:20AM on Sep 5th 2007 by richard day gore