Senate Bill Eliminates Guaranteed Insurance Coverage for Cancer Screening

By Alan Gray, NewsBlaze

US Senate Bill S.1955 proposes eliminating Guaranteed Insurance Coverage for Cancer Screening, relieving insurance companies of the need to guarantee coverage for mammograms and other vital cancer screenings. The Bill is set to be voted on in early May 2006.

The American Cancer Society has asked Bill Thiel, founder of Maureen's Mission, along with other patient advocate groups, to help inform the public of Senate bill S.1955.

If this bill passes - which may be voted on as early as the first week in May - insurance companies would no longer have to guarantee coverage for mammograms and other vital cancer screenings.

"If people knew more about this bill, they would be screaming 'Why wasn't I told!' " says Thiel. "Screenings save lives - period! To do away with insurance covering cancer screenings is to guarantee the killing of thousands of people each year."

The bill would allow insurance companies to offer "bare bones" insurance by eliminating key health care benefits including screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer, plus well-child care and immunizations, maternity care, emergency services, mental health care, and diabetes supplies and education.

"We are asking people to contact their Senators - today - and tell them bill S1955 is unacceptable," states Thiel.

Thiel's experience is personal. Had his wife, Maureen, had the proper screening, she would likely be alive today instead of dead at 43 due to breast cancer. To fulfill a promise to his wife, Bill created "Maureen's Mission," a non-profit organization dedicated to education and ending misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis of women across the country with breast lumps.

Thiel, representing Maureen's Mission, was one of six Patient Advocacy individuals chosen to attend the National Patient Safety Foundation Congress in San Francisco, May 10 - 12. He is relentless in his goal to stop this bill from passing and is calling on the heroes of media to help get this important news in the headlines.

"This bill represents a severe risk to all the citizens of this country-a country already in a huge health crisis. The House of Representatives passed this bill and we need to stop it in the Senate," warns Thiel. "If you take away life saving coverage for cancer screening, you will create an epidemic of delayed diagnosis, and tragically, fatal delayed diagnosis."

This is especially tragic as our medical advances offer hope and recovery with early, correct diagnosis. If this bill is passed, thousands will not receive life saving treatment - that's already out there and available - because of lack of insurance coverage.

"This is a sad day for the citizens of our country," reflects Thiel.

Thiel invites you to contact him at Maureen's Mission: www.maureensmission.org for details of the 60 plus page Senate Bill.

To contact your Senators visit: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

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