[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 72 (Monday, June 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S4950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER TREATMENT ACT

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, breast cancer is second only to lung 
cancer as a cause of cancer-related deaths among American women. This 
year, an estimated 182,800 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed 
and 40,800 women will die of this terrible disease. In addition, an 
estimated 12,800 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed this 
year, and 4,600 American women will die of this disease. Many of these 
deaths could be avoided by making sure that cancer detection and 
treatment services are readily available to all women at risk.
  Early detection is currently the best way to combat breast and 
cervical cancer. If women age 50 and over obtain regular screening for 
breast cancer, up to 30 percent of breast cancer deaths could be 
prevented. Moreover, virtually all cervical cancer deaths could be 
prevented through regular screening.
  In recognition of the value of screening and early detection, 
Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act 
of 1990, which established the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention's (CDC's) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early 
Detection Program. This important program has provided over two million 
screening tests to low-income and underserved women in all 50 States 
since its inception, and over 6,000 cases of breast cancer and over 500 
cases of invasive cervical cancer have been diagnosed. In Maine, more 
than 8,300 women have been screened and 28 cases of breast cancer and 
12 cases of cervical cancer have been detected through this program.
  As one Maine woman observed:

       This screening program was an answered prayer. I had been 
     concerned about having to skip checkups lately, but there was 
     no way to come up with the money anytime soon. I will gladly 
     tell all of my friends about this and will gladly return for 
     follow-up.

  The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has 
provided cancer screening services to more than one million low-income 
American women who, like the woman from Maine, otherwise might not have 
been able to have these critically important tests. Unfortunately, 
however, the program does not currently pay for treatment services for 
women with abnormal screening results. Since the National Breast and 
Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program is targeted to low-income 
women, many do not have health insurance and many more are 
underinsured. While States participating in the program have been 
diligent and creative in finding treatment services for these women, a 
study done for CDC found that, while treatment was eventually found for 
almost all of the women screened, some women did not get treated at 
all, some refused treatment, and some experienced delay.
  Screening must be coupled with treatment if it is to save lives. As 
we approach the 10th anniversary of the enactment of the Breast and 
Cervical Cancer Mortality Act, it is time for Congress to complete what 
it started by enacting legislation to ensure that women diagnosed with 
breast or cervical cancer through the screening program will have 
coverage for their treatment. That is why I am pleased to be a 
cosponsor of S. 662, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, 
which would give States the option of providing Medicaid coverage for 
the duration of breast and cervical cancer treatment to eligible women 
who were screened and diagnosed through the CDC program. This 
legislation is not a mandate for States. It simply lets States know 
that, if they do decide to provide treatment services for these women, 
the Federal Government will be there to help with an enhanced Federal 
Medicaid match for these services.
  Mr. President, S. 662 has strong bipartisan support with 66 Senate 
cosponsors. Moreover, last month the House of Representatives 
overwhelmingly passed similar legislation. I want to commend the Senate 
Finance Committee chairman and the Senate majority leader for making a 
commitment to move this legislation this year, and I urge them to 
schedule committee action and Senate floor time soon so that S. 662 can 
be signed into law this summer. There would be no better way to 
celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Breast and Cervical 
Cancer Early Detection Program in August than by enacting this 
important bill to provide the treatment necessary to save the lives of 
the women who are screened and diagnosed with cancer through this 
program.

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