[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 15937-15938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04818]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 5, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 15937]]
Proclamation 10705 of February 29, 2024
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The second leading cause of cancer death in the United
States today is colorectal cancer, and approximately
150,000 people in this country will be diagnosed with
the disease this year. During National Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month, we honor all the Americans we
have lost to this cancer, those currently living with
or surviving it, and the loved ones who stand firmly by
their side. We recommit to supporting all those helping
drive progress against cancer and delivering incredible
care to those facing this disease. We affirm our goal
of ending cancer as we know it, once and for all.
As a country, we have made impressive progress in the
struggle to end cancer over the past several decades
due to advancements in prevention, early-detection
measures, and new medicines and therapies. Despite
remarkable breakthroughs, every year, more Americans
are diagnosed with cancer under the age of 50. Earlier
detection and improved treatment of colorectal cancer
continue to be critical goals of medical research.
Further progress is also needed to improve outcomes for
those who are disproportionately impacted by this
disease--including Americans over the age of 45, Native
Americans, Black Americans, and people with a family
history of colorectal cancer.
There is still more work to be done to ensure more
Americans can prevent, detect, treat, and survive
colorectal cancer. That is why the First Lady and I
reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the ambition to cut
the cancer death rate by at least half in the next 25
years and improve the experience of patients and
families touched by cancer. I worked with the Congress
to secure $2.5 billion in bipartisan funding for the
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
The scientists, innovators, and public health
professionals funded by ARPA-H are working day and
night to create a quantum leap in the prevention,
detection, and treatment of cancer and other deadly,
life-threatening, and life-altering diseases. Along the
way, they are forging partnerships to deliver results
to the people who need them most. ARPA-H is also
partnering with the National Institutes of Health, the
National Cancer Institute, and other agencies to
develop a new Biomedical Data Fabric Toolbox for
Cancer, which will ensure that knowledge gained through
research is available to as many experts as possible,
with the goal of delivering groundbreaking innovations
to patients sooner.
My Administration is also working tirelessly to get
patients and their loved ones some much-needed
breathing room by making cancer treatments more
affordable. I was proud to strengthen Medicaid and the
Affordable Care Act by expanding health care coverage
to millions of Americans. Millions of people are saving
$800 per year on health insurance premiums as a result
of this extension. In addition, through the Inflation
Reduction Act, the total out-of-pocket prescription
drug costs for seniors and others with Medicare will be
capped at $2,000 per year--including amounts they are
required to pay for expensive cancer medications. For
those on Medicare, we have also expanded access to
health services that make it easier for patients and
their families to navigate the complexities of cancer
care. That
[[Page 15938]]
includes dental services for people receiving certain
kinds of cancer treatment, guidance from individuals
who can help coordinate between health care teams, and
community-based social services that can provide
support outside of the health care system.
The independent United States Preventive Services Task
Force recommends regular colorectal cancer screenings
for all Americans starting at age 45. Colonoscopies and
other preventive practices can detect cancer early,
averting the disease before it starts. It is also
recommended that all Americans should consult a doctor
if they experience symptoms such as blood in their
stool, a change in bowel activity, abdominal pain,
bloating, persistent cramps, or unexplained weight
loss. As part of my Administration's efforts to ensure
people are able to receive timely screening, the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently
finalized a rule stating that no Medicare beneficiary
has to pay for a diagnostic colonoscopy after a
positive non-invasive screening test, like at-home
stool-based tests.
Nearly every family in America has been touched by
cancer--including mine. During National Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month, let us recognize the absolute
courage and strength of patients, survivors, and their
families by coming together as a country to provide the
support and hope they need.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2024 as
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage
all citizens, government agencies, private businesses,
non-profit organizations, and other groups to join in
activities that will increase awareness and prevention
of colorectal cancer. I also encourage Americans to
visit HealthCare.gov and learn more about signing up
for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-04818
Filed 3-4-24; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P