Collins, Baldwin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Lifesaving Cancer Screenings

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act. The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), a lifesaving program that provides breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for women who are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured.

“Cancer is a devastating disease that has taken a heavy toll on countless families. Cancer prevention and screening programs are vital because the earlier this disease is caught, the better the prognosis,” said Senator Collins. “NBCCEDP provides thousands of uninsured and underinsured Mainers with breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services each year. Our bipartisan legislation would reauthorize and strengthen this critical program, helping to improve the health of women in Maine and nationwide and ultimately saving lives.”

“Cancer plagues every corner of the country, but with proper screening and treatment, lives can be saved and families can continue to be whole,” said Senator Baldwin. “The NBCCEDP has a proven track record of providing preventative and diagnostic cancer services nationwide, saving patients and taxpayers money, and most importantly, saving lives. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help folks get the cancer screening and treatment they need, and help save lives.”

The NBCCEDP, a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state departments of health, has provided breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to more than six million women, detecting nearly 75,000 breast cancers and almost 4,000 premalignant breast lesions.

The SCREENS for Cancer Act would reauthorize the NBCCEDP through 2027. The program provides public education, outreach, patient navigation, and care coordination to increase breast and cervical cancer screening rates and reach underserved populations. Without access to early detection programs, many people who are uninsured are forced to delay or forgo screenings, which could lead to late-stage breast cancer diagnoses. This delay can mean that a person may not seek care until the cancer has spread beyond the breast, making it up to five times more expensive and harder to treat.

The legislation would also increase flexibility to NBCCEDP grantees, allowing for a greater emphasis on implementing innovative evidence-based interventions and aggressive outreach to underserved communities through media, peer educators, and patient navigators. At current funding levels, NBCCEDP serves only 15 percent of the estimated number of eligible women for breast cancer services. The SCREENS for Cancer Act authorizes additional funding to better support the program and ensure that more women are able to access services.

The Senators’ legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

The SCREENS Act is endorsed by Susan G. Komen, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Oncology Social Work, Check for a Lump, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, Men Supporting Women with Cancer, National Cervical Cancer Coalition, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, National Consortium of Breast Centers, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Women’s Health Network, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Sharsheret, Society for Women’s Health Research, Society for Women’s Health Research and TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance.

Click HERE to read the bill text.

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