Passage of Medicaid Amendment Crucial, Says American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society
Tuesday, 14 July 1998

Washington 1998/07/14 -The American Cancer Society announced today that it fully supports passage of a Medicaid treatment option for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, or NBCCEDP. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to allow for Medicaid-paid treatment of breast or cervical cancers found in women through the NBCCEDP has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Alphonse D'Amato (R-NY) and the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Rick Lazio (R-NY). The NBCCEDP currently funds cancer detection and outreach services for women in underserved populations.

"Right now, a small percentage of women who are found to have breast or cervical cancer through this program don't seek or have extreme difficulty obtaining treatment. If this new option is added to the Medicaid program, more women would be able to access treatment and help stop the scourge of two devastating cancers," said the American Cancer Society's President David S. Rosenthal, M.D.

"I am thrilled to see this legislation being proposed. The American Cancer Society applauds the work by Sen. D'Amato and Rep. Lazio in proposing and pushing forward this very important enhancement to the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program," said Jennie R. Cook, ACS Board Chair. "We also thank the National Breast Cancer Coalition for the leading role it has taken in this issue."

In addition, the American Cancer Society is also seeking increased funding for the NBCCEDP for the upcoming fiscal year. Funding for fiscal year 1998 is at $145 million, while proposals for FY 99 sets the program funding at $144.7 million. ACS would like $200 million for the NBCCEDP for FY 99.

"NBCCEDP only reaches 12 to 15 percent of the women it is intended to reach now -- in large part because of money. This is entirely unacceptable. In order to eradicate cancer and make progress on these issues, funding must be increased," Dr. Rosenthal added. "The CDC has proven NBCCEDP works. We shouldn't allow anything to stall a program which helps advance cancer prevention and early detection. NBCCEDP should be expanded because it saves lives."

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org