People encounter several kinds of barriers to receiving adequate health care, but one of the biggest hurdles is a lack of paid sick leave, which in and of itself can be enough of a disincentive to prevent people from getting an array of services.

In a study from Tulane's Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Kevin Callison, assistant professor of health policy and management, discovered that cancer screening rates increased by a significant amount for communities that had access to policy-driven paid sick leave mandates.

Over a seven-year window, 4% more people get screened for breast cancer, while colorectal cancer screenings increased between 6-8% in areas with paid sick leave requirements.

Those rates grow even further if one takes into account that people in those areas often previously had paid sick leave, mandated or not.

It underscores the importance of good policy becoming a critical factor in being able to detect cancer early enough to treat it, ultimately saving lives.

In the fight against cancer, detection and treatment are important components. But paid sick leave can be just as critical, as it enables those tools to be implemented. And the best way to ensure paid sick leave is at the policy level.