Early Diagnosis Saves Money For Research

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Mr. PALLONE. I heard my Republican colleague from California who just spoke say that somehow the President was suggesting that this health care reform bill, which is so important, might go so far as to cure cancer. I tell you, it's not going to cure cancer. But if you think about the fact that in this bill we put so much emphasis on prevention and we make sure that 97 percent of Americans who are not elderly would now be covered, the fact of the matter is that means that people go to a doctor on a regular basis. And if they go to a doctor and they find out that they have cancer at an earlier stage, then they get the attention so maybe they don't die from the cancer.

You know what? If everybody goes to the doctor now and as a result of that they don't have to go for more serious treatment and the expense that's involved with that, there will be money saved--and that money can go towards more research on cancer and the cure for cancer.

So I would say to my colleague, we're not saying it's going to cure cancer, but I tell you it would do a lot towards preventing those people that have serious problems, finding them out early, being diagnosed, and helping them out.

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