Priority #4: Preservation of the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment
Program
Y-ME is closely monitoring the federal budget for Medicaid as this may impact
the Breast and Cervical Treatment Program.
The Senate Budget committee originally passed a budget resolution that cut $14
billion from Medicaid in its FY 2006 budget. An amendment was then introduced
and passed by the Senate to restore the $14 billion and create a bipartisan Commission
that would seek input from all stakeholders on Medicaid reform. The House budget
cut $20 billion in Medicaid funding. A letter to fellow Republican Houe Members was signed by 44 Republican members
of Congress urging House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) to restore
$20 billion in Medicaid funds.
The following Illinois Republican U.S. Representatives signed the letter opposing
Medicaid cuts: Representative Tim Johnson (IL-15), Representative Donald Manzullo (IL-16), Representative
Judy Biggert (IL-13), & Representative Jerry Weller (IL-11).
Budget Negotiation Update!
Congress recently approved a Federal Budget that includes $10 billion in Medicaid reductions
over 5 years. This budget also included the formation of a Medicaid Commission
to study the program and it's funding needs. Y-ME will continue to closely monitor
the Medicaid funding issue.
Y-ME ILLINOIS JOINS SMOKE-FREE CHICAGO
Y-ME Illinois is excited to announce that we recently became a member of Smoke-Free
Chicago. This coalition works to protect families and workers in Illinois from
secondhand smoke.
According to the National Cancer Institute, secondhand smoke exposure is a known
risk factor for lung cancer and research suggests an association between secondhand
smoke and cancers of the breast, cervix, and bladder. While more research is
conducted in this area, Y-ME Illinois feels strongly that we must work to protect
our community members from the effects of secondhand smoke.
You can learn more about Smoke-Free Chicago online!
FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Legislation Recently Introduced:
S. 757 - Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- A bill to authorize the Director of the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences to make grants for the development and operation of research centers
regarding environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast
cancer.
S. 874 - Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) - Read for the first time - A bill to establish a
national health program administered by the Office of Personnel Management to
offer health benefits plans to individuals who are not federal employees.
H.R. 1819 - Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL) - Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means - A bill to enhance
the access of Medicare beneficiaries who live in medically underserved areas to
critical primary and preventive health care benefits at federally qualified health
centers.
H.R. 1849/S. 910 - Rep. Kelly (R-NY) & Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) / Sen. Snowe (R-ME) & Sen.
Landrieu (D-LA) - A bill to require that health plans provide coverage for a minimum
hospital stay for mastectomies, lumpectomies, and lymph node dissection for the
treatment of breast cancer and coverage for secondary consultations.
You can read bills in full text format online.
Healthy Illinois Passes Out of Committee in the Senate
The Healthy Illinois Act (SB 11) passed out of the Health & Human Services
Committee in the Illinois Senate by a vote of 7-3 on March 2nd. It is expected that hearings on this bill will be held over the summer and
that the bill will be brought to the Senate floor for a full vote in the fall.
Mammogram Bill (SB 12) Passes Senate, Now Awaiting a Vote in the House
SB 12, a bill that would require insurance companies to provide coverage for
mammograms for women under 40 who have a family history or other risk factors,
passed out of the Senate by a vote of 55-0. The bill is now awaiting a floor vote
in the House.
You can read bills in full text format online.
USA Today Looks at Prescription Drug Industry's Lobbying Efforts
USA Today recently examined the "political clout of the pharmaceutical industry,"
which since 1998 has spent $758 million on lobbying efforts -- more than any other
industry, according to the Center for Public Integrity. Read more.
Wholesale Prices for Brand-Name Prescription Drugs Rose Average of 7.1% Last
Year, Largest Increase in Five Years, Report Says
Wholesale prices for brand-name prescription drugs increased by 7.1% -- 2.5 times
the general inflation rate of 2.7% -- between 2003 and 2004, according to a study
released on Tuesday by AARP. For the study, researchers from the AARP Public Policy
Institute and the PRIME Institute analyzed the wholesale prices for 195 brand-name
and 75 generic medications commonly used by U.S. adults ages 50 and older. Read more.
Most Uninsured Residents Not Likely To Enroll in Health Savings Accounts, Study
Finds
Most uninsured U.S. residents likely will not enroll in high-deductible health
plans with tax-free health savings accounts, according to a new study sponsored
by the Commonwealth Fund, the Boston Herald reports. The study estimated that
fewer than one million of the 45 million uninsured residents will enroll in such
plans. Read more.
Number of Uninsured Might Be Overstated, New Research Suggests
The number of U.S. residents without health insurance may be overstated by as
much as nine million people, according to two new analyses of census data. The
studies were commissioned by HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Michael O'Grady after four government surveys found the number of uninsured in
2003 ranged from 19 million in the Survey of Income and Program Participation to 45 million in the Current Population Survey. Read more.
EPA Issues Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment and Supplemental Guidance
on Risks from Early-Life Exposure
Two documents released provide principles and procedures to guide EPA scientists
assessing cancer risk from exposures to environmental pollutants. The documents,
"Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (Cancer Guidelines)," and "Supplemental
Guidance for Assessing Susceptibility from Early-Life Exposure to Carcinogens
(Supplemental Guidance)" reflect EPA's evolving approach to cancer risk assessment.
Read more.
About one-quarter of adults between 51 and 57 will be uninsured at least once
before qualifying for Medicare (Archives of Internal Medicine).
African-American women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer are
78% less likely than white women with a similar history to get genetic testing
(Journal of the American Medical Association).
49% of people in the U.S. said they are "very worried" that they will have to
pay more for their health care or insurance, according to the latest Kaiser Health
Poll Report.
More than three out of four adults in the U.S. (77%) say that Congress should
allow patients to buy prescription drugs imported from Canada, and the same majority
(77%) says that Congress should change the law to allow the federal government
to negotiate with drug companies to reduce drug prices for people on Medicare.
A recent survey found that 4 in 10 seniors do not take medications as prescribed.
Poor experiences with drugs and costs are major contributors to non-adherence
(according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation).
