(STATEHOUSE) April 9, 2009 - A bill that would expand the list of authorized providers who perform screening for breast or cervical cancer for women who seek eligibility for Medicaid's cancer program was passed today by the Indiana House of Representatives. The vote on Senate Bill 554, sponsored in the House by Rep. Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville) and authored in the Senate by Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville), was 96-0. "This bill opens the options for women who are going through the traumatic process of screening for breast cancer," said Rep. Crouch. "It's traumatic enough to be diagnosed with cancer. Women shouldn't have to worry about whether they live near a breast screening center that has been approved." Previously, some women eligible for Medicaid may have been required to have duplicate screenings because their original screening results were not accepted by Medicaid. By opening authorization to more health care providers, Indiana would become an Option 3 state under Medicaid. "Indiana's additional screening centers already exist," said Rep. Crouch. "We're just making it easier for women who have breast cancer, or those who want to be screened for breast cancer, to get the aid and the information they need." Indiana's Medicaid provisions for breast and cervical cancer extend to women who are under 65 years old, have no credible health insurance and whose family income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill has been sent to the Senate for approval before Gov. Daniels can sign it into law. |
