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In his statement, the governor said: "Today is Mother's Day. And on
Mother's Day, people from all over spend the day with their families
to honor their mothers and honor the women in their lives. And
that's as it should be. Our mothers raised us, they fed us, they
took care of us. Most people would say that their mothers have
always been there when we needed them, and so when they need us,
it's our responsibility to be there for them. That's why the issues
of breast and cervical cancer are so important. And that's why the
budget we just passed significantly expands access to screenings and
treatment for both breast cancer and cervical cancer to more women.
If you don't have access to screenings and treatment for breast or
cervical cancer, please call our Women's Help Line at (888)
522-1282."
Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, Illinois Department of Public Health
director, said: "The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program has
helped screen thousands of Illinois women for breast and cervical
cancer. Many of those women are what is called the working poor.
They go to work each day but can't afford health insurance. IBCCP
reaches out to these women and lets them know there is help for
mammograms and Pap tests. I want to thank Governor Blagojevich for
expanding this successful and much-needed program."
Raising the income threshold to include more women:
Administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the
Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program currently offers free
mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests to women at or
below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $40,000 for
a family of four. The governor's expansion raises the income
threshold to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, or $50,000
for a family of four.
To be eligible, a woman must be uninsured and between the ages of
40 and 64 for mammograms and breast exams, and between 35 and 64 for
pelvic exams and Pap tests. On a case-by-case basis, younger,
symptomatic women who meet the financial and insurance guidelines
are considered for the program. Since the program was launched in
Illinois in 1995, approximately 150,000 breast and cervical
screenings have been provided.
Expanding access to treatment: Currently, if a woman is
eligible for the program but is diagnosed with breast or cervical
cancer outside of the program, then she is not eligible for
treatment. The governor's expansion allows women who meet program
eligibility requirements but are diagnosed outside the current
program sites to go straight into the free treatment program. This
gives women more choices and also avoids penalizing women who did
not know about the program but who were screened and diagnosed by
their doctor, community health center or other health care facility.
Currently, 425 Illinois women are receiving treatment as a result
of program referrals. With the expansion of eligible women into the
program and the entry of more women from other providers into the
Treatment Act services, the number of women receiving treatment
could increase by 500.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among
women 20 years of age and older in the United States. Women
diagnosed with breast cancer, on average, have an 88 percent
survival rate for the first five years. When breast cancer is
diagnosed early, this five-year survival rate increases to 98
percent. An October 2005 study by the Cancer Intervention and
Surveillance Modeling Network Collaborators estimated that breast
cancer screening reduced the rate of death from breast cancer by up
to 23 percent and found that treatment is likely to be more
effective if cancer is detected at an earlier stage.
Women can find out how to get breast and cervical cancer
screening and treatment by calling the Women's Health-Line at (888)
522-1282 or, for hearing impaired use only, TTY (800) 547-0466.
Information on the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and
other women's health issues and programs is also available at
www.idph.state.il.us.
[to top of second column]
 |
 Blagojevich has made significant contributions to promote and
improve women's health, including:
Blagojevich has consistently made
women's health a priority, adding $26.6 million in funding for
women's breast and cervical health programs over the last four
years. This year, the governor allocated $3.6 million in new
funding, plus $2 million more in federal funding, to increase
eligibility for lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings
to women with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty
level. Since the governor has been in office, more than 37,000
women, 48 percent of whom are minorities, received free
screenings through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer
Program.
Signed women's
health legislation into law: Last summer, Blagojevich signed
several pieces of legislation affecting women's health in
Illinois. The Ticket for a Cure is a new lottery game to raise
money for breast cancer research.
Senate Bill 12 requires insurance companies to cover
screening for breast cancer earlier in a woman's life if her
doctor considers her to be at a higher risk of developing breast
cancer.
House Bill 3564 expanded and renamed the Penny Severns
Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Fund to include ovarian
cancer research.
Senate Bill 521 requires insurers to provide coverage for
ovarian cancer screening tests for women who are at risk. In
2004, Blagojevich also signed legislation creating a 12-member
Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force to help educate the
public about cervical cancer and develop a statewide
comprehensive prevention and control plan.
-
Stand Against
Cancer Initiative : In 2003, Blagojevich funded Stand Against
Cancer, a community outreach and screening program targeting the
hardest-to-reach minority women. It is conducted by a coalition
of neighborhood organizations, churches and federally qualified
health centers. In fiscal 2005, the initiative provided more
than 17,000 breast and cervical cancer screenings and reached
more than 47,200 other women through educational programs and
outreach.
-
Hispanic Breast
and Cervical Cancer Initiative : In 2005, Blagojevich
launched the Hispanic Breast and Cervical Cancer Initiative,
which is closely patterned after Stand Against Cancer. Women
screened through the initiative who subsequently need diagnostic
tests are referred to local lead agencies for the Illinois
Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
-
Illinois
Wisewoman Program: The Well-Integrated Screening and
Evaluation for Women Across the Nation, a cardiovascular
research program, is provided in 20 Illinois counties. The
project is targeted toward women enrolled in the Breast and
Cervical Cancer Program and helps them reduce heart disease by
leading healthier lifestyles.
-
Women's health
education : Funding and support has been provided for
community-based information and education programs. In fiscal
2006, Women's Health Initiative grants totaling $1.6 million in
state funding were awarded to 77 local health departments and
other nonprofit organizations to fund educational programs
focusing on cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, menopause and
eating disorders.
-
Women's
Health-Line : Access to services is increased through
Women's Health-Line and other informational resources. In
fiscal 2005, the state-funded, toll-free Women's Health-Line
responded to more than 2,000 requests, referring women to
services and providing more than 600,000 free educational
materials to women and community providers. These materials are
also provided
online by the Department of Public Health.
-
Illinois Healthy
Women program : The Healthy Women program has helped women
across the state who are losing their Medicaid eligibility stay
healthy and has promoted healthy births by providing
comprehensive reproductive health care coverage, including
annual physicals, Pap smears, mammograms, screening and
treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptives.
Over 120,000 women have been offered this program since its
inception in 2004.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
