Thirteen States Receive HHS Approval to Extend Medicaid Benefits to Women With Breast and Cervical Cancer

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Oct. 19 approved requests from 13 states to provide Medicaid benefits to uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a CDC screening program. Receiving approval were Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Hawaii, Nebraska, Maine, Michigan, Vermont and Wyoming (HHS release, 10/19). Under the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, signed into law in October 2000, states can expand their Medicaid programs to include uninsured women under age 65 who have breast or cervical cancer (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/5). States choosing to extend Medicaid benefits to women who qualify under the program receive a federal match of up to 85% of treatment costs. In order to qualify, women must be diagnosed through the CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, which began in 1990. Since that time, more than 3 million breast and cervical tests have been provided to more than 1.8 million women. Thompson said, "These expansions offer help, hope and health care to women who otherwise would receive only a diagnosis that may sound like a death sentence. With these approvals, women who had no health coverage can now get immediate access to life-saving treatment through Medicaid" (HHS release, 10/19).