Chairman Bilirakis, thank you for holding this hearing on H.R. 1070, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 1999. I would like to commend Rep. Anna Eshoo for her extraordinary leadership and commitment in sponsoring this bill, which now boasts a total of 260 cosponsors. Her persistence and effort led directly to this hearing today.

All of us are familiar with the personal stories of women who have suffered from breast or cervical cancer, and we are all aware of the difficult and painful process that these women face upon learning their diagnosis.

Imagine how much more difficult the situation is for a woman who has been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, but doesn’t know when, where, or how she’s going to obtain the medical treatment needed to save her life, because she has no health insurance. These women are forced to expend precious energy searching for doctors and hospitals willing to accept their "charity" cases, instead of focusing on getting well. In today’s health care system dominated by managed care and fiscal constraints, there is no guarantee that these women – or anyone else who is uninsured – will be able to obtain uncompensated care.

This legislation is an important step in responding to the needs of uninsured women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer. I urge speedy action, so that we can help minimize the fear and uncertainty that these women face in searching for someone to pay for their treatment.