2002.01.25:HHS to Propose Increassed Funding for Cancer Screening

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Jan. 25, 2002

Contact:

HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

HHS TO PROPOSE INCREASED FUNDING FOR CANCER SCREENING

President Bush will propose a $9 million increase in funding for breast and cervical cancer screening, HHS Secretary
Tommy G. Thompson announced today. The Secretary made his announcement during the Women's Health Summit sponsored by the National Council for Families & Television in Beverly Hills, Calif. The summit brings together television leaders with medical experts to discuss women's health issues and their portrayal in television.

The proposed increase is for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program provides screening services, including clinical breast examinations, mammograms, pelvic examinations and Pap tests, to underserved women. It also funds post-screening diagnostic services, such as surgical consultation and biopsy, to ensure that women with abnormal results receive timely and adequate referrals.

"Together, breast and cervical cancer took the lives of more than 45,000 American women in 2001," Secretary Thompson said. "These deaths occurred disproportionately among low-income women and women who belong to racial or ethnic minorities. By increasing screening rates for at-risk women, we can save lives.''

HHS' fiscal year 2003 budget will request an additional $9 million for this program, bringing the total requested funding to $203 million. The additional funding would allow the program to provide an additional 29,000 diagnostic tests in addition to increasing education and outreach programs for women and health care providers, improving quality assurance measures for screening, and improving access to screening and follow-up services.

In most states, the Medicaid program will cover the cancer treatment for women without health insurance who are diagnosed with cancer through the CDC screening program. To date, HHS has approved requests from 34 states to expand Medicaid to cover these women since Congress authorized such coverage in October 2000. HHS will move quickly to approve similar requests from other states. In addition, President Bush signed legislation in January that allows states to expand Medicaid to cover Native American women diagnosed through the CDC program.

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program was established by the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990. Since its creation, the program has provided more than 3 million screening examinations and diagnosed more than 8,600 breast cancers, 39,400 precancerous cervical lesions and 660 cervical cancers. It operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. territories and 12 American Indian/Alaska Native organizations.

More information on the program is available at www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp.

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