Biden Visits UPenn For Panel Discussion On Cancer Treatment
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Former vice president Joe Biden spoke Tuesday on a panel at the University of Pennsylvania about the importance of the Affordable Care Act when it comes to treating cancer.
During a forum on "Cancer in the 21st Century," Biden offered words of warning to lawmakers looking to get rid of Obamacare without a sufficient replacement.
"Watch what happens if we repeal the Affordable Care Act for 20 million poor people who, in fact, will be without the diagnostic access they have now," Biden said.
Biden says even without the ACA, the American people will still end up picking up the bill for cancer patients who do not have health insurance, but it will be more costly to take care of their hospital bills and long-term medicine than it would be to catch something in its early stages.
"If you do not have health insurance, you're likelihood of detecting whatever cancer you have between being stage 1 and stage 4 is exponentially higher to be at stage 4," Biden said.
During the forum, Biden reiterated that given the proper funding and attention, over the next five years, doctors, lawmakers and the rest of us can change the face of cancer for the better.