[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 368 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 368

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
 the inclusion in any comprehensive benefits package under health care 
    reform of mammography screenings for women under the age of 50.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 23, 1994

 Mr. Towns (for himself, Mrs. Collins of Illinois, Ms. Velazquez, and 
Mrs. Vucanovich) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
  jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
 the inclusion in any comprehensive benefits package under health care 
    reform of mammography screenings for women under the age of 50.

Whereas breast cancer is a substantial public health problem in the United 
        States, and the incidence and prevalence of this cancer is increasing;
Whereas breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in women between 
        the ages of 15 and 54, particularly in African-American and Hispanic 
        women;
Whereas, in 1992 alone, 40,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women 
        under 50, of which 28,900 cases were diagnosed in women between the ages 
        of 40 and 49;
Whereas the risk of breast cancer increases significantly at age 40;
Whereas, in 1992, the difference between the incidence of breast cancer in women 
        in their forties and women in their fifties amounted to a difference of 
        only 1 percent of all breast cancer cases;
Whereas there has been a 2.5 percent increase in the breast cancer mortality 
        rate of premenopausal African-American women, and experts believe that 
        the increase is significantly influenced by the lack of access to early 
        detection and health care;
Whereas the 5-year survival rates for low-income women with breast cancer are 9 
        percent lower than the rates for upper-income women;
Whereas the National Cancer Advisory Board of the National Cancer Institute 
        voted 14 to 1 that the Institute's guidelines recommending mammography 
        screenings for women between the ages of 40 and 49 should remain in 
        place because the science is inconclusive to support any changes at this 
        time;
Whereas mammography is among the most effective and widely available methods of 
        early detection;
Whereas the Special Commission on Breast Cancer (formed by the President's 
        Cancer Panel) found that earlier detection increases the likelihood of 
        reducing mortality;
Whereas such Special Commission concluded that the failure of health care 
        providers to recommend mammography is a major cause of poor utilization 
        of mammography screening;
Whereas the Special Commission concluded that health care reform must ensure the 
        removal of financial barriers to access to early detection and 
        screening; and
Whereas the Special Commission recommended that further studies be conducted to 
        determine the mortality benefit of screenings in women between the ages 
        of 40 and 49: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) any comprehensive benefits package under health care 
        reform should include mammography screenings--
                    (A) for women between the ages of 40 and 49 (as 
                well as for women over the age of 49); and
                    (B) for women under the age of 40 who are at high 
                risk for breast cancer or whose physician determines 
                that it is medically necessary or appropriate;
            (2) a copayment should be imposed for mammography screening 
        under such benefits package, except for low-income families; 
        and
            (3) although it is currently prudent for such package to 
        include mammography screenings for women between the ages of 40 
        and 49, the Public Health Service, in conjunction with national 
        and international cancer research centers, should immediately 
        undertake a randomized clinical trial to determine the 
        effectiveness and benefits of mammography and other emerging 
        screening technologies for such women.

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