SACRAMENTO – Senate President professional Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) has launched laws to develop entry to breast and cervical most cancers screenings, diagnostic companies, and remedy for decrease revenue Californians.
“Early detection and well timed remedy of breast and cervical cancers are important to bettering well being outcomes,” mentioned Professional Tem Emeritus Atkins. “We should proceed working to make sure that all Californians can afford most cancers screenings and the remedy they want as soon as identified. SB 1213 would enable two state-funded most cancers screening and remedy applications with sturdy observe data of improved well being outcomes to assist extra Californians. Making screening and remedy extra inexpensive is a crucial piece of our work to enhance ladies’s well being care and cut back most cancers deaths.”
Senate Invoice 1213 would enhance the eligibility threshold for the Each Girl Counts (EWC) program and the Breast and Cervical Most cancers Therapy Program (BCCTP) from 200% to 300% of the Federal Poverty Degree. The EWC gives eligible Californians with free breast and cervical most cancers screening and diagnostic companies. The BCCTP gives inexpensive remedy choices to eligible low-income California residents identified with breast and/or cervical most cancers. Increasing eligibility for these California Division of Well being Care Companies applications would take away obstacles to extra Californians accessing breast and cervical most cancers screenings, diagnostic companies, and remedy with out breaking the financial institution.
Professional Tem Emeritus Atkins, who served because the director of a ladies’s well being clinic early in her profession, has persistently labored on bettering entry to healthcare for decrease revenue ladies. In 2018, Senator Atkins secured ongoing funds funding to take away the BCCTP’s closing dates on breast and cervical most cancers remedy. In 2016, Senator Atkins authored AB 1795, which expanded eligibility for the EWC program and ensured the BCCTP might present remedy to sufferers who expertise a reoccurrence of most cancers, no matter whether or not or not it’s breast or cervical most cancers.
Senator Atkins has additionally championed a number of efforts to develop Medi-Cal for extra Californians, together with offering Medi-Cal for youngsters and younger adults as much as age 25 no matter immigration standing and elevating Medi-Cal’s revenue eligibility cap for pregnant ladies.
SB 1213 is sponsored by the American Most cancers Society Most cancers Motion Community and the Susan G. Komen Basis.
What others are saying about SB 1213:
“We’ve made nice strides within the battle in opposition to most cancers. Early detection has performed a important position within the steady decline in most cancers mortality. Enhancements in prevention, early detection and remedy of most cancers have helped avert 4 million fewer deaths in the US since 1991. Nevertheless, vital disparities nonetheless exist. For instance, regardless of having a decrease incidence, Black ladies are 40% extra more likely to die from breast most cancers than White ladies. Making certain that extra people have entry to very important breast and cervical most cancers screenings, in addition to follow-up care, will assist save lives, tackle most cancers disparities, and cut back the most cancers burden for everybody.”
- Autumn Ogden-Smith, Director of California State Laws at American Most cancers Society Most cancers Motion Community
“Susan G. Komen applauds Senator Atkins’ longstanding assist for Each Girl Counts, emphasised by her current introduction of SB 1213. We’re thrilled to work collectively to make California’s breast and cervical most cancers early detection program among the many most accessible within the nation. Early detection companies are a important device in decreasing late-stage prognosis and finally breast most cancers deaths.”
- Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Coverage and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen
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Toni G. Atkins is President professional Tempore Emeritus of the California Senate. Having beforehand served as Speaker of the California Meeting, she started her tenure within the Senate in 2016. As Senator for District 39, she represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Seashore. Web site of President professional Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins
