As a volunteer and cancer advocate, I am writing to thank U.S. Rep. Ron Kind for his vote in favor of the U.S. House of Representatives version of health care reform legislation. Thanks to Kind, we now have an opportunity to dramatically improve the health care system and the quality of life for cancer patients, survivors and their families.

If enacted, this bill could have immediate and lasting benefits for millions of people with cancer. Receiving a cancer diagnosis would no longer put families at risk of being denied or getting priced out of life-saving health care coverage.

The bill would improve health care for cancer patients and their loved ones in several ways. It would refocus the system to consider prevention, early detection of the disease, end the practice of denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions and limit the cost burden on families by providing care that covers more at less cost. This bill addresses the common good of the American people by providing adequate, affordable cancer care coverage to the 25 million people who are underinsured and the 46 million who have no insurance.

This is our country's best chance in decades to see real reform that will dramatically improve the broken health care system. We need to keep the momentum going and enact health care reform this year so that people with life-threatening diseases such as cancer can get the care they need at a cost they can afford.

Doherty is an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer.