Lost in the celebration Wednesday over the Senate’s passage of the Medicare bill that avoids cuts in reimbursement fees to doctors were several other provisions that will help more seniors access the services critical to detect and, in some cases, prevent cancer.

The bill would strengthen the Welcome to Medicare Visit, which allows new Medicare beneficiaries to meet with a physician to discuss their health history and learn more about preventive services and screenings, including those for breast, cervical and colon cancer. The bill would extend the availability of this visit from six months to one year after Medicare enrollment and waives the deductible, removing barriers that keep many seniors from utilizing these services.

The bill would also give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to permit Medicare to cover new preventive services as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force without first having to obtain Congressional approval. This change would provide seniors with faster access to new preventive screenings and services as they are developed and tested.

Cancer disproportionately affects the elderly. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is pleased that the Senate decided to put the health of our nation’s seniors first and strengthen Medicare to broaden access to early detection services that could reduce this disparity and save lives. We hope President Bush will do the same by signing this bill into law.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 14th, 2008 at 9:48 am and is filed under Politics .