[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 39 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER TREATMENT ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RICK LAZIO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 1999

  Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce 
legislation that will allow states the option of providing Medicaid 
coverage to women who have been diagnosed with breast and cervical 
cancer through the federal government's National Breast and Cervical 
Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP).
  This bill would allow women who are screened through the CDC program 
and diagnosed with cancer to help obtain the quality treatment they 
deserve. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act would allow women 
to focus their efforts on getting well instead of worrying about how 
they or their family will be able to pay for their treatment.
  Currently, screening services through this CDC-administered program 
are provided to women who earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid but 
not enough for private insurance. The nine-year-old-program exists in 
50 states, in five U.S. territories, in the District of Columbia, and 
through 15 American Indian/Alaska Native organizations.
  The CDC screening program is a terrific success and has saved an 
untold number of lives. Since its inception in 1990, the program has 
provided more than 1.5 million screening tests to women who might have 
otherwise not had access to it.
  More than 700,000 mammograms have been provided to primarily low-
income women. Of this number, over 48,000 of the tests were abnormal, 
and over 3,600 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed. In addition, 
through the 850,000 cervical cancer screenings, more than 26,000 pre-
cancerous lesions were detected, and 400 women were diagnosed with 
invasive cervical cancer.
  But frankly, screening and early detection are only half the battle. 
These proactive efforts must be coupled with a quality plan for follow-
up treatment. As the CDC program works today, treatment for these women 
is--at best--an ad hoc system. Women must rely on a tremendous amount 
of time and effort from volunteers, state workers, doctors, public 
hospitals, and others, to find appropriate treatment services for their 
disease. Follow-up services are very rare, and 5% of women in this 
program are never even treated. Congress needs to provide a plan that 
follows through for these women.
  In my district of Long Island, the severity of this problem is very 
real. My staff has dealt with a number of women with varying issues 
that stemmed from this loophole of care in the current system.
  For example, one women from Suffolk County--while she was extremely 
grateful for the screening programs available to her--often referred to 
her treatment as ``begging'' because she often had to get treatment 
anywhere she could find it.
  Another constituent with breast cancer felt like her disease was 
``public'' because she found that the only way to get treatment as a 
women in this situation is to tell every advocate and every doctor 
about your situation--to make these extraordinarily personal problems 
public--in the hope that someone can find what you need and help.
  Finally, one women chose not to get tested because she knew that 
treatment would not be guaranteed. This final example is what frightens 
me the most--some women are avoiding a screening that could save their 
life because of the potential expense it might cost them.
  Seeing a need to complete this quality program, I joined with my 
colleagues Rep. Anna Eshoo and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to sponsor The 
Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 1999. Our legislation will 
allow states the option of providing Medicaid coverage to women who 
have been screened and diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer 
through the CDC program. In my view, this bill is the best long-term 
solution. Congress needs to ensure Americans that our government 
programs are working for them and that Congress is making the right 
decisions.
  I am proud to introduce this critical piece of legislation in an 
effort to ensure that all women of all income levels will have access 
to the screening and appropriate and quality treatment to help combat 
this terrifying disease.

                          ____________________