Mikulski, Ayotte Renew Call for Congress to Pass their Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Access to Mammograms for Women 40 and Older

Press Release

U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) today renewed their call for Congress to pass their bipartisan legislation, the Protect Access to Lifesaving Screenings (PALS) Act, following the American Cancer Society's updated recommendations for preventive-care mammograms. The bipartisan PALS Act would protect access to annual mammogram screenings for women aged 40 to 74.

"Women's access to free preventive mammograms must not be impeded, discouraged, or eliminated," the Senators said. "Too many women and their families are getting mixed messages about when and how often to get mammograms. This has serious implications for women's health, as well as families' economic well-being if insurers limit coverage to the most narrow recommendation among many. What is crystal clear is that mammograms are essential for early detection of breast cancer and offer women their very best chance at a cure and at survival. That's why we've introduced bipartisan legislation that will protect access to annual mammograms for all women age 40 and older. Now is the time to improve access to preventive care, not make it harder for women to receive."

Today the American Cancer Society announced updated recommendations that women age 45 to 54 get annual mammograms, while all women age 40 and older must continue to have access to mammograms if they and their doctor believe it is necessary.

The bipartisan legislation would place a two-year moratorium on draft breast cancer screening recommendations from the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF), an independent advisory arm of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that would undermine access to mammography for 22 million women between the ages of 40-49, including approximately 2.8 million African American women who have the highest rate of mortality from breast cancer. The bipartisan PALS Act would allow time for Congress and others to review the impact these recommendations would have on women being screened for this deadly disease, as well as concerns about the USPSTF process. The USPSTF could finalize these guidelines at any time so this legislation is paramount. At the time the draft guidelines were released, Senator Mikulski sent a letter to HHS expressing concern.

If the USPSTF guidelines are finalized as drafted, health plans would no longer be required to cover annual mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49. These changes would not only increase the cost burden, but even more worrisome -- it would be a deterrent, resulting in many women not seeking screening at all.

The bipartisan PALS Act is supported by the following organizations: American College of OB/GYNs, American College of Radiology, AMIC, Bright Pink, Black Women's Health Imperative, Cancer Support Community (formerly the Wellness Community and Gilda's Club), FORCE: Facing our Risk of Cancer Empowered, Susan G. Komen, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Men Against Breast Cancer, Medical Imaging Technology Association, National Black Nurses Association, National Consortium of Breast Centers, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Oncology Nursing Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Sharsheret, Society for Breast Imaging, Society for Women's Health Research, Tigerlily Foundation.

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