The Senate Finance Committee on June 14 approved, by voice vote, a bill (S. 662) that would provide treatment to women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer under a federal screening program. Created in 1990 under the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act (P.L. 101-354), the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides screening for breast and cervical cancer to underinsured and uninsured women. Although screening is authorized under the law, treatment is not. S. 662 would give states the option to provide Medicaid coverage for women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through the federal screening program. Committee Chair William Roth (R-DE) noted that the bill would fulfill a promise that Congress made ten years ago, stating that “through S. 662, our commitment to [women] will not stop with screening. If problems are found, the federal government stands ready to work with the states to make sure [women] receive the treatment [they] need to get well.”
As introduced by the late Sen. John Chafee (R-RI), S. 662 would provide an enhanced federal match to cover 75 percent of the cost of the program, and states would be required to contribute 25 percent of the costs. However, the committee adopted, by voice vote, a substitute amendment that would change the enhanced match rate. Under the amendment, sponsored by Sen. Roth, the match rate would vary by state as it does with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The federal government would pay no less than 65 percent of the program costs under this amendment.
Several Senators expressed concern about the expansion of Medicaid. Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK) raised concern about the inconsistency of coverage that the bill would create. While Medicaid eligibility is based mainly on income, the bill would allow women access to full Medicaid coverage even though they are only seeking treatment for breast or cervical cancer.
The House passed, 421-1, a similar bill (H.R. 4386) on May 9 (see The Source, 5/12/00).
