DeLauro Calls for Insurance Companies to Continue Coverage of Mamograms

Recent recommendations suggested screening unnecessary for women aged 40-49

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) today released the following statement in support of the Breast Cancer Screening Resolution, H.R. 971.

The resolution is a reaction to a of new set of recommendations made by the U.S. Preventive Task Force that suggest mammogram screenings are not necessary for women aged 40 to 40 and recommends against teaching women how to self-examine themselves. The Task Force is an independent panel and does not dictate federal policy.

Congresswoman DeLauro said, "I am proud to support this resolution, and to call for insurance companies not to deny coverage to the women these recommendations applies to who seek mammograms. We need to make sure that women have access to this important, life-saving procedure, and that better, safer screening procedures will soon be forthcoming. This is also why I support comprehensive health insurance reform, so that women can afford health care in the first place, and get coverage for that mammogram and any follow-up treatment they might need."

Congresswoman DeLauro's statement is below.

(As Entered into the Record)

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, H.R. 971, which helps to clarify much of the unnecessary furor over mammograms we have experienced of late.

The recent breast cancer recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force effectively said that women ages 40 to 49 should have a conversation with their doctors before deciding to have a screening mammogram. In other words, they were an attempt to put as much information as possible in the hands of women and their doctors, so they can assess their own risk and benefit.

Now, whatever decision women come to on this important matter, they need two things to ensure they have access to mammography should they decide to get screened: One is quality health coverage so they have a doctor they can go speak to. And the second is coverage for mammograms and other important preventative services. And, of course, some women will need coverage for treatment if a cancer is found.

This is why I support this resolution, which argues that insurers should not deny coverage for mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 who decide to get screened. This is also why I support comprehensive health insurance reform, so that women can afford health care in the first place, and get coverage for that mammogram and any follow-up treatment they might need.

We must redouble our efforts across the board to ensure that Americans are getting the appropriate preventive screenings. Right now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 25.9 percent of women ages 50 to 64 have received all the recommended preventive care for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer, as well as influenza. Under health reform, women would finally get the preventive care they need.

In the meantime, there is a great need for more information, more research, and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. This resolution also urges the National Cancer Institute to continue to invest in research toward more effective screening tools and strategies for improving detection of breast cancer.

For all of these reasons, I strongly urge my colleague to support this resolution. Mammography is not perfect, but right now it is the best method we have to detect this killer in our midst. We need to make sure that as many women as possible have access to this important, life-saving procedure, and that better, safer screening procedures will soon be forthcoming.