October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nearly every Iowan knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer.
In fact, breast cancer accounts for 1 of 3 new cancer cases in women each year. Early detection can save lives – and new screenings and tests are developed every day to help treat cancer earlier than ever before.
That’s why I cosponsored the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act to help Medicare recipients access treatment for their breast cancer diagnosis when they need it, rather than having to wait because of bureaucratic delays.
The government needs to catch up with the science to help ensure more at-risk Americans receive early detection screenings and treatment. I’m also working on a few important, bipartisan bills to encourage and promote early detection:
- H.R. 3916, the SCREENS for Cancer Act, which funds life-saving breast and cervical cancer screening services for low-income and underinsured patients.
- H.R. 2407, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which would increase seniors’ timely access to blood-based, multi-cancer early detection technology by creating a pathway for Medicare coverage once it’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- H.R. 1526, the Reducing Hereditary Cancer Act, which provides Medicare coverage for genetic testing for those with a history of hereditary cancer.
- H.R. 3433, the Give Kids a Chance Act, which would allow kids to participate in certain combination therapies to give them the best possible chance of beating cancer.
I’ll keep fighting for commonsense solutions to help Iowans get the support they need when they need it.