WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Health Education Labor and Pension Committee (HELP) is expected to mark up the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act, S.1840. This bill would reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) through 2028. For more than 30 years, the NBCCEDP has effectively provided critical breast and cervical cancer screenings, follow-up, diagnosis and treatment to communities that are of limited-income, underserved, under-insured, and uninsured in the U.S.
The following is a statement from ACS CAN Vice President of Federal Advocacy and Strategic Alliances Tammy Boyd:
“We are grateful for Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for continuing to champion this meaningful legislation that will provide greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings to detect precancerous abnormalities and help diagnose these cancers at an earlier more treatable stage.
“More than ever, it is critical that the NBCCEDP program continues its innovative work to reduce disparities and advance health equity in breast and cervical cancer. Early diagnosis reduces the risk of death from cancer and increases treatment options, but unfortunately not all groups have benefited due to a lack of access to necessary screenings.
“NBCCEDP has a legacy of reaching these underserved populations. Funding for the program helps address inequities in breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnosis, putting an extra focus on reaching people who are geographically isolated and/or belong to a racial or ethnic group disproportionately impacted by these cancers.
“Passage of the SCREENS for Cancer Act is necessary to ensure continued access to vital breast and cervical cancer screenings, which help reduce the unequal cancer burden. We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers as this bill moves through Congress.”