Mr. Chairman, I congratulate you on bringing before us a bill to reauthorize the Mammography Quality Standards Act. I am proud to have been one of the authors of this Act. Clinical and other health care services must be of the highest quality. Fortunately, mammographies are now performed by facilities that are subject to the rigorous standards. This program works well and saves lives. The GAO's report on the Act stated that it "has had a positive impact on the quality of mammography services and no effect on access to them."

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among women, and its victims are also someone's mother, sister, spouse, daughter, or friend. This is important and consensus legislation, supported by patient groups such as the National Breast Cancer Coalition, the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, and the American Cancer Society. The bill before us today is modeled after legislation already introduced by two of our distinguished colleagues, Reps. Johnson and Norton, and cosponsored by many others. I applaud their leadership on this issue.

Today's measure includes two important additions to their bill. First, the bill before us requires that mammo-graphy clinics provide direct written notification to patients in language understandable to a layperson. This simply applies to all patients the current requirement for self- referred patients. Patient groups that testified before this Subcommittee earlier this year were unanimous and strong in their support for inclusion of a direct patient notification provision in reauthorization legislation. Studies show that, for a variety of reasons, referring physicians sometimes either delay or neglect contacting their patients with mammography test results. These studies also show that many patients assume that no news is good news. Unfortunately, a breakdown in communication between doctor and patient can be fatal. Direct patient notification will provide an important safeguard. The notice required by this provision is in addition to, not lieu of, the requirement that the mammography clinic provide test results to a patient's referring health care provider.

The other new provision authorizes HHS to conduct a demonstration project to determine whether and under what circumstances mammography facilities may inspected less frequently than once a year, as currently specified by law. This provision is carefully crafted as an authorization, not a requirement. We are mindful that the final facility regulations have yet to take effect. Although some facilities have compiled excellent records under the interim regulations, there are important differences between the interim regulations and the more rigorous final regulations. Accordingly, any assessment of facility performance must be under the final regulations and over an adequate period of time. The bill's demonstration project language contains provisions with respect to its timing and scope such that the quality assurances of MQSA will not be weakened for anyone.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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