DeLauro Calls for Medicare to Cover HPV Test as Part of Cervical Cancer Screening
Press Release
DeLauro Calls for Medicare to Cover HPV Test as Part of Cervical Cancer Screening
Washington , D.C. - Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) introduced the Medicare Cervical Cancer Screening and Detection Coverage Act of 2007 (H.R. 4055), which would require Medicare to cover testing for the human papilloma virus (HPV), the cause of cervical cancer, in conjunction with the standard Pap test as part of routine cervical cancer screening for older women. Women aged 65 and older account for nearly 20 percent of all new cervical cancer cases and more than 35 percent of all deaths from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.
"Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. Over the past five decades, the Pap test has been the lynchpin in our ability to dramatically reduce the rate of cervical cancer. By incorporating new technology - the HPV test - with current routine screening practices, we can lower those rates even further," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "There is no reason Medicare should not be moving to cover this as part of standard screening."
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the HPV test, which looks for the virus that causes cervical cancer, correctly spotted 95 percent of the cancers while the Pap test, which checks for abnormal cells under microscope, only found 55 percent. When combined with the Pap test another study in the Journal found that together the two tests detected precancerous lesions or cancer earlier than the Pap test alone.
Commenting on why HPV testing is important, DeLauro added, "Knowing if an older woman has HPV could help determine if and how often she should continue to be screened. This can help save older women from the anguish of a cervical cancer diagnosis, and can help ensure that Medicare resources are directed toward those who really need them."
This year, 11,150 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,670 women will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
"This legislation will bring Medicare in line with private insurers and state Medicaid programs, which already cover HPV testing as part of routine cervical cancer screening," continued DeLauro. "As a supplement to the Pap test, the HPV test will help identify even more cases of cervical cancer, catching this disease at its earliest and most treatable stage."
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