Cancer Society Focuses Its Ads on Uninsured

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

In a stark departure from past practice, 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.

The campaign was born of the group’s frustration that cancer rates are not dropping as rapidly as hoped, and of recent research linking a lack of insurance to delays in detecting malignancies.

Though the advertisements are nonpartisan and pointedly avoid specific prescriptions, they are intended to intensify the political focus on an issue that is already receiving considerable attention from presidential candidates in both parties.

The society’s advertisements are unique, say experts in both philanthropy and advertising, in that disease-fighting charities traditionally limit their public appeals to narrower aspects of prevention or education.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/us/31cancer.html?hp

[OzarkDem]

1. ACS not as trustworthy

Some conflict of interest problems have surface for them this year. They've gotten a lot of criticism from National Cancer Institute and doctors for making recommendations that aren't always in the best interests of patients.

Distorting research evidence on skin cancer while getting funding from Nutrogena

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/11/healthscience/10skin.php


Recommending breast expensive MRI's for women instead of mammograpy when evidence shows its no more accurate for most women

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/29/MRIORNOT.ART_ART_05-29-07_A1_RA6RO7G.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101


Its no surprise that the health insurance lobby is buying up a lot of support in Congress and among health care lobbying groups. I'll make a prediction that ACS is going to come out in favor of health care reform supporting private health insurance plans. It would also be a safe bet that insurance companies fronted a good part of their advertising budget.

On edit: Make special note that they're not mentioning a specific prescription for health care reform. ACS usually has vague legislative initiatives, but are more specific when lobbying behind closed doors.