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The American Cancer Society is on board, folks.  They recognize the crisis represented by the 47 million Americans without health insurance…more than 1 person in every 8 for every living person in this country.  In addition, many who believe they are covered by insurance will be denied coverage for screening an treatment due to for-profit motivations of their insurance companies.  As a result, the American Cancer Society

plans to devote its entire $15 million advertising budget this year not to smoking cessation or colorectal screening but to the consequences of inadequate health coverage.
New York Times

Normally, this budget does go to advertising urging people not to smoke, or to get cancer screenings.  How did they decide to tackle the broad issue of health care coverage, as opposed to these specific attempts to reduce cancer?

…John R. Seffrin, the chief executive of the cancer society…said his organization had concluded that advances in prevention and research would have little lasting impact if Americans could not afford cancer screening and treatment.

“I believe, if we don’t fix the health care system, that lack of access will be a bigger cancer killer than tobacco,” Mr. Seffrin said in an interview. “The ultimate control of cancer is as much a public policy issue as it is a medical and scientific issue.”

Enough, folks…enough.  If you want a flat screen tv, it’s perfectly reasonable that you may or may not be able to afford one.  Not so with a cancer screening.  There is no reason we can’t live in a society where the health care of every person is guaranteed, in a system that is paid for by us all.