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New York Women Deserve Critical Health Care Insurance
by Assemblyman Willis H. Stephens, Jr.
Because of our current insurance laws, a deadly dilemma faces the women of this state each day. This dilemma has no prejudice, it can affect any woman at any given time. Unlike certain other threatening circumstances that we, as lawmakers, cannot control, we can do something about this one.
For far too long the women in this state have not had the health insurance coverage needed to help them detect and prevent certain health and medical conditions such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and osteoporosis. Women would be better able to detect these deadly diseases if they went to the doctor early enough, but many don’t because their health insurance does not provide these benefits.
More women need to be encouraged to have clinical breast exams before the age of 50. Several studies have shown that screening before the age of 50 has reduced breast cancer by 30 percent.
The New York state Department of Health’s Cancer Registry Data on breast and cervical cancer statistics are staggering:
* Breast cancer strikes one out of every nine New York women-
* 12,000 new cases of breast cancer are discovered annually in New York women.
* Breast cancer causes more deaths than any other form of cancer in women under age 55 and it is the most common form of cancer among U.S. women.
* 3,500 deaths are attributed to breast cancer annually in New York.
* 1,800 new cases of cervical cancer are reported annually in New York.
* 1,030 annual deaths are reported in New York due to cervical cancer.
The good news about both these tragic diseases is that if detected early, the cure rate is very high, and that is where New York lawmakers can make a difference. By coming together and putting partisan differences aside, we can do what is right for all the women of this state.
As the ranking Republican member on the state Assembly’s Insurance Committee, I was pleased to join my colleagues in the state Assembly -- on both sides of the aisle -- to pass critical legislation that encourage the women of this state to receive early detection on breast cancer, cervical cancer, end osteoporosis as part of their health insurance coverage-
On Jan. 29, it was announced that the state Senate and Assembly will come together in conference committees to resolve this issue and give women the care they need for a long, healthy life. Both houses have addressed this issue, but their approaches differ. Conference committees will iron out the differences.
By requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for annual breast and pelvic exams, more
women will be able to take advantage of early detection and more lives will be saved. If we can prevent even one death a year as a result of annual exams, then this legislation will be considered a success.
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