Representing North Carolina’s Ninth District                                                                        

Rep. Myrick Introduces Cancer Reauthorization Bill Aimed At Helping Low-Income, Uninsured, or Underinsured Women

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Sue Myrick (NC-9), introduced the  National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) Reauthorization Act.  This bill ensures that the NBCCEDP continues to receive funding so that low-income, uninsured, or underinsured women continue to have access to mammograms or pap smear tests.

In 1991, the NBCCEDP was created because deaths from breast and cervical cancers occur disproportionately among women who are uninsured or underinsured.  Making screening services available to all women at risk helps decrease the number of premature deaths and save thousands of women’s lives every year.

“I don’t care where you are from, what color you are, how much money you have, or the level of medical coverage you have.  Every woman at risk deserves to get cancer screenings, because cancer doesn’t discriminate,” said Rep. Myrick.  “This program is vital to saving the lives of women who normally would be turned away from screenings.  In 2004, more than 600,000 women didn’t have to worry if they had the proper coverage, or the funds, to pay for these tests and lives were saved as a result.”

The NBCCEDP is administered by the Centers for Disease Control.  It provides
states with funding in the form of grants.  They stipulate that the state must use 60 percent of the grant for actual tests and screening of patients, while the other 40 percent is used for educational purposes to let women know the program exits and to encourage them to get tested. 

Rep. Myrick’s reauthorization bill will provide states with greater flexibility when getting the NBCCEDP grants.  It will allow states to put more funding toward education practices and awareness if the state feels it isn’t reaching as many low income women as possible.  This program also enjoys the financial support of private organizations, such as the Susan G. Koman foundation.  These organizations contribute over $40 million annually to help add to the federal dollars distributed by this program.

Before this program, thousands of women struggled to afford screenings, or went without it because they didn’t have coverage, and didn’t qualify for Medicaid.  That is why this program is so vital, and why we must maintain access to cancer screenings. Since the program began, 2.5 million underserved women have had access to more than 5.8 million screening exams.  It has diagnosed more than 22,000 breast cancers, 76,000 precancerous cervical lesions, and 1,500 cervical cancers. 

In 2000, Rep. Myrick noticed that the NBCCEDP ensured that women who needed testing could access it, but it didn’t guarantee that they would receive treatment if they were diagnosed with cancer.  Being a breast cancer survivor herself, she led the charge to make sure that all women who were diagnosed with cancer as a result of the NBCCEDP would not be turned away because of lack of coverage or resources, but would have access to treatment.  Today, thanks to Myrick’s bill, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, women who lack the means are able to get tested and treated.

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