[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5020-S5021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mrs. 
        Shaheen):
  S. 2412. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
protect coverage for screening mammography, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Finance.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the 
bipartisan ``Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act,'' which 
would protect access to annual mammograms by ensuring breast cancer 
screenings are covered through insurance for women starting at age 40.
  With the exception of skin cancers, breast cancer continues to be the 
most common cancer in American women and second leading cause of cancer 
death in women behind lung cancer. According to the American Cancer 
Society, in 2021, about 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer 
will be diagnosed in women and about 43,600 women will die from breast 
cancer.
  Fortunately, we're seeing the death rate for breast cancer go down 
with a decrease of 1 percent per year from 2013 to 2018. According to 
the American Cancer Society, this has been largely credited to earlier 
diagnosis of breast cancer through screening and patient awareness, in 
addition to improvements that have been achieved in breast cancer 
treatments.
  Mammography has been the best test we have at finding breast cancer 
early, providing a better chance of survival after diagnosis. According 
to the Kaiser Family Foundation, women with insurance coverage are more 
likely to report having had a mammogram in the past two years compared 
to uninsured women. But while regular breast cancer screenings have 
helped tremendously in the early detection of breast cancer, health 
insurance coverage of these screenings for women in their forties is at 
risk.
  While leading medical groups, including the American College of 
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Cancer Society, and the 
American College of Radiology support women having no-cost access to 
breast cancer screenings starting at age 40, the actual decision of 
coverage is typically determined using recommendations by an 
independent volunteer panel known as the U.S. Preventive Services Task 
Force (USPSTF).
  Unfortunately, when USPSTF updated its breast screening guidelines in 
2015 to recommend that women should start mammography screenings at age 
50, health coverage without cost sharing was put in jeopardy for women 
in their 40s.
  The ``Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act'' was first 
introduced shortly thereafter to postpone these recommendations that 
would have limited coverage for breast cancer screening. Congress has 
subsequently acted to extend this moratorium several times since then, 
most recently passing an extension in December 2020 that is set to 
expire January 1, 2023.
  The benefits of screenings are clear, and we need to ensure that 
women in their forties continue to have coverage for, and access to, 
these screenings. To that end, we are reintroducing the ``Protecting 
Access to Lifesaving Screening Act'' to further protect access to 
mammography screenings that are covered at no cost to patients ages 40-
49. If passed, the current moratorium on USPSTF breast cancer screening 
guidelines would be extended through 2028.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
total number of breast cancer screening tests received by women through 
CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program 
declined by 87% during April 2020 as compared with the previous 5-year 
averages for that month. This decline is attributed to reduced routine 
medical visits due to COVID-19. Consequences of these prolonged delays 
in screening include delayed diagnoses, poor health consequences, and 
an increase in cancer disparities among women already experiencing 
health inequities. Further removing barriers to screening by ensuring 
patients are covered at no cost will be crucial as the public begins to 
resume routine preventive health services.
  I am honored to be joined by Senators Blackburn and Shaheen in 
introducing this legislation. I am also very grateful for supporters of 
this bill, including the American College of Obstetricians and 
Gynecologists, American College of Radiology, American Women Unite for 
Breast Cancer Screening, Black Women's Health Imperative, Breast Care 
of Washington, Check for a Lump, DenseBreast-Info, FORCE: Facing Our 
Risk of Cancer Empowered, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Men Supporting 
Women With Cancer, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in 
Women's Health, National Black Nurses Association, National Consortium 
of Breast Centers, National Hispanic Medical Association, National 
Medical Association, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Servicewomen's Action 
Network, Sharsheret, Society of Breast Imaging, Society of Breast 
Imaging, Susan G. Komen and the Tigerlily Foundation.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in protecting access to lifesaving 
screenings by supporting the passage of this bill.
  Thank you Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Moran):
  S. 2425. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure the 
provision of high-quality service through the Suicide Prevention 
Lifeline, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, unfortunately, rates of suicide have risen 
to epidemic levels in the United States, with suicide now the tenth 
leading cause of death in the country. On average, there are 129 
suicides every day, roughly one every eleven minutes, a staggering 
statistic. That is why I am pleased to be introducing the Suicide 
Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act with Senator Moran to help turn the 
tide on this increasingly dire situation.
  This legislation would provide $568 million in new funding over five 
years for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, delivering an 
infusion of new funds to help improve call capacity, make improvements 
to the Lifeline, and make the switch to a new, easy-to-remember, three-
digit number, 9-8-8. The Lifeline has long been underfunded, but we 
have worked on a bipartisan basis to more than double the funding over 
the last three years. However, much more is needed, and this new 
legislation will help build on these efforts to ensure that the 
Lifeline is able to answer the calls of those seeking help.
  In 2019, 47,500 Americans lost their lives to suicide. That same 
year, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts. We must renew our 
efforts on suicide prevention. In 2004, working with my colleague, 
former Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, we authored the Garrett Lee 
Smith Memorial Act. This law authorized new youth suicide prevention 
programs in honor of Senator's Smith son, who tragically died by 
suicide just a couple of weeks short of his 22nd birthday. For over a 
decade, these programs have funded college campus, state, and tribal 
efforts to prevent suicide among our youth and young adult populations, 
who are particularly at risk of suicide. During this time, youth 
suicide rates have decreased significantly in my home state of Rhode 
Island. However, nationwide, suicide rates have skyrocketed.
  That is why we must renew our attention and focus on suicide 
prevention, including by increasing funding for, and improving access 
to, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This effort is critical 
to ensuring that when people in crisis call looking for help, someone 
will be there on the

[[Page S5021]]

other end of the line to offer hope and counseling. Last Congress, I 
was able to work with my former colleague Senator Gardner, and Senators 
Baldwin and Moran on legislation to designate the Lifeline as an easy 
to remember, three-digit number, 988. This common-sense law will make 
it easier for people across the country to access the Lifeline when 
they really need it. I am glad that the bill was signed into law last 
year, paving the way for every state to implement the switch to 9-8-8 
by July 2022. This upcoming deadline, however, makes it all the more 
important that we provide more funding for the Lifeline.
  I am pleased to once again have the opportunity to partner with 
Senator Moran on suicide prevention efforts. I look forward to working 
together with our colleagues, as well as stakeholders supporting these 
efforts, to pass this critical legislation.

                          ____________________