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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Ind. Law - "New law allows more women to get timely cancer screening," which is an essential prrequisite for participation in the BCCP

Updating this ILB entry from Feb. 23rd, and this one from Sept. 14, 2007 (headed "Loophole Allows States To Avoid Covering Breast, Cervical Cancer Treatments for Some Uninsured Women") In the 2007 entry I wrote:

The Wall Street Journal lists 21 states "where uninsured women with breast or cervical cancer are denied Medicaid coverage if they wern't diagnosed at the right clinic. The list includes Indiana.
Today the NWI Times reports:
More women will be able to get necessary screening for breast and cervical cancer under a measure signed into law by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Senate Enrolled Act 554 requires Indiana's Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) to submit a waiver to the federal government that, if approved, would make Indiana's BCCP less restrictive by allowing women to be screened by any provider for breast or cervical cancer. If cancer is diagnosed and patients meet income guidelines and other BCCP requirements, they would be allowed to enroll in Medicaid for treatment.

Previously, women could only receive treatment through Medicaid under the BCCP if they were screened by a participating BCCP provider.

The BCCP serves uninsured and underinsured low-income women who meet federal eligibility requirements and are between the ages of 40 and 64. The program provides free Pap tests, pelvic exams, clinical breast exams and mammograms. If cancer is found during routine screenings, subsequent treatment is covered under Medicaid.

Prior to Gov. Daniels signing the new measure, the BCCP only was able to screen 10 percent of the total women eligible for the program, in part, because not all Indiana counties have participating BCCP programs and limited funding.

A Note: I can attest to the importance of this bill. I received chemotherapy in a clinic associated with the downtown Methodist Hospital and learned from the dedicated nursing staff of many patients who were unable to deal with their enormous medical bills and the efforts the staff made to find help for them. I expect that a number of these women would have been eligible for the BCCP, except that they had been diagnosed in the wrong clinic.

Kudos to Senator Becker for initiating this bill, to second author Senator Delph, and to the long list of Senators and Representatives who signed on as co-authors.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 13, 2009 09:26 AM
Posted to Indiana Law