Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Health Of The House Committee On Energy And Commerce - Breast Cancer Legislation: H.R. 995, H.R. 1691, H.R. 1740, And H.R. 2279

Statement

Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Deal and the Members of the Subcommittee,
thank you for convening this hearing and for inviting me to testify before you today about
H.R. 995, the Mammogram and MRI Availability Act. I also want to thank the breast
cancer advocacy groups for coming to testify about the work they do, the problems we
face in the fight against breast cancer, and the ways in which they and their organizations
are helping to educate, screen, treat, and care for women living with, and at risk of
developing, breast cancer.
We all know the statistics: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death of
women in the United States. It is a leading cause of death of women aged 40-49. This
year alone, more than 40,000 women in the U.S. will die from breast cancer, and more
than 192,000 new cases will be discovered.
We also know that, in addition to the need to find a cure, prevention is the
difference between life and death. A 2005 National Institute of Cancer study affirmed
that mammograms contributed to a pronounced drop in the number of breast cancer
deaths. Study after study have found that yearly mammograms, done from age 40 on,
help find tumors at their smallest and most treatable stage. That's why the American
Cancer Society -- and others -- recommends that women age 40 and older should have

yearly mammograms. And that's why I introduced H.R. 995, a common-sense,
bipartisan bill to ensure coverage of yearly mammograms for this population of women.
While many insurance plans cover diagnostic mammograms -- that is,
mammograms used to diagnose whether a mass or a tumor is cancer -- many insurance
plans do not cover mammograms for the purpose of screening for tumors. Based on the
research and on what we know about breast cancer, this is simply unacceptable, and
women and families deserve better.
As we have learned, mammograms, on their own, do not detect every malignant
tumor. For women at high risk of breast cancer -- that is, those women who have a strong
family history of breast cancer, where a woman's mother, grandmother, sister, or
daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, or those women who have a genetic
predisposition to developing the disease -- MRIs help detect more tumors at their earliest,
most treatable stages. For this population of women who are particularly susceptible to
developing breast cancer, ACS recommends an annual mammogram and MRI.
As with coverage for mammograms, insurance companies do not routinely cover
screening MRIs, even for this high risk population of women. H.R. 995 would make
these important screening exams available to the women who need them most.
While women should consult a doctor before undergoing a mammography or
MRI, nothing in this bill requires a woman to seek a doctor's referral prior to receiving
one of these life-saving screening exams. Nor does the bill require a woman to undergo
any test unless she chooses to do so.
As the Subcommittee well knows, Congress is on course to pass a historic health
care reform bill this year. That legislation -- which has not passed either House of
Congress -- contains important prevention provisions that would eliminate co-pays and
deductibles for recommended prevention services. These recommendations may or may
not include screening mammograms and will depend on the decisions of an outside third
party. If screening mammograms are included, delays upward of five years or more
could continue to limit women's access to these exams. Therefore, passage of major
health care reform won't necessarily prevent these women from continuing to fall
through the crack. Only passage of H.R. 995 with achieve that goal.
Additionally, the prevention measures likely to be included in the final health care
reform package do not include coverage for MRIs for high risk women. Thus, the
women most at risk -- the women with strong family histories of the presence of breast
cancer, as well as those who are genetically predisposed to the disease -- will be left
without access to these life-saving exams.
Mr. Chairman, with the passage of my bill, women age 40 and older, as well as
those women at high risk of developing breast cancer, will not continue to fall through
the cracks. With my legislation, these women will be guaranteed coverage for life-saving
screening exams. As we wait to find a cure, ensuring coverage for mammograms and
MRIs could mean tremendous benefits for scores of women and their families in the fight
against breast cancer.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for giving me an opportunity to discuss my bill, H.R.
995, the Mammogram and MRI Availability Act, and for holding this important women's
health hearing. I look forward to working with you, as well as my colleagues on the
Subcommittee, to pass this legislation. Thank you.

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