 By expanding the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program to all
uninsured women in the state, effective Oct. 1, 2007, Blagojevich
made Illinois the first and only state in the country to make sure
women who need access to potentially lifesaving cancer screenings
and treatment can get it. This expansion makes it possible for more
than 260,000 women in Illinois to qualify for free cancer screenings
and treatment when they need them, regardless of income.
"Early detection of cervical cancer is the key to saving lives,"
the governor said. "That's why we expanded the Illinois Breast and
Cervical Cancer Program -- to make sure all uninsured women in our
state have access to the screenings and treatment they need to stay
healthy. I want every woman in Illinois to make a New Year's
resolution to get these lifesaving screenings this year and every
year in the future."
Since the program was expanded to all uninsured women in October,
more than 5,000 women have signed up to get lifesaving screenings
and treatment -- an increase of 118 percent since the same period
last year.
According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, about 10,000
women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and
about 3,700 women die each year from the disease.
The latest data for Illinois shows that in 2004, 555 women were
diagnosed with cervical cancer. That same year, 196 women died of
cervical cancer. In 2008, it is estimated that 590 women will be
diagnosed with cervical cancer and approximately 210 women will die.
"Almost every cervical cancer death is preventable through early
detection, treatment and follow-up," said Damon T. Arnold, director
of the Illinois Department of Public Health. "Families and friends
don't have to lose a loved one to cervical cancer, and women don't
have to suffer if they take care of themselves and routinely get
screened for cervical cancer."
"In order to reduce cervical cancer morbidity and morality in
Illinois, increased awareness of cervical cancer and preventive
health-seeking behavior is needed," said Stacie E. Geller, Ph.D.,
chair of the Illinois Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force. "We
must work to increase awareness of cervical cancer preventive
measures, including access to the HPV vaccine, among medical
providers, health educators and consumers through educational,
advocacy and legislative efforts."
Under the newly expanded program, the Illinois Breast and
Cervical Cancer Program offers free pelvic exams and Pap tests to
any uninsured woman age 35-64 and free breast exams to any uninsured
woman age 40-64. On a case-by-case basis, younger, symptomatic women
who meet the guidelines are considered for the program. The
screening program is free.
Launched in 1995, the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
has provided almost 183,000 screenings, and more than 109,000 of
those screenings have been provided since 2003 under the Blagojevich
administration. Before the expansion, uninsured women qualified only
if their incomes were under 250 percent of the federal poverty
level, which is about $52,000 per year for a family of four.
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Uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer qualify for
comprehensive health care coverage provided by the Illinois
Department of Healthcare and Family Services as long as they need
treatment for breast or cervical cancer. Women diagnosed with a
pre-cancerous cervical cancer condition who need follow-up
diagnostic tests will also qualify for HFS coverage to determine
whether they actually have cervical cancer. Health care coverage
will include doctor visits, inpatient and outpatient hospital care,
emergency services, prescription drugs, and more. Women who need
treatment will pay modest co-payments for doctor visits, brand-name
prescription drugs and inpatient stays.
Women can find out how to get breast and cervical cancer
screening and treatment by visiting
www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov or 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.
The governor's proclamation reads as follows:
WHEREAS, every year
in the United States there are approximately 10,000 women diagnosed
with and 3,700 women who die from cervical cancer; and
WHEREAS, in 2008,
it is estimated in Illinois 590 women will be diagnosed and 210
women will die from cervical cancer; and
WHEREAS, most
deaths from the disease could be avoided if women had regular
checkups with the Pap test. Early detection significantly increases
chances of survival. In fact, if detected early, cervical cancer is
nearly 100 percent curable; and
WHEREAS, that is
why I recently expanded the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer
Program, which made Illinois the first state in the nation to ensure
that all women can get access to potentially life-saving cancer
screenings and treatment; and
WHEREAS, at the
same time, I also launched a Take Charge, Get Screened Campaign to
aggressively reach out to women and urge them to take time to get
the preventative screenings that could save their lives; and
WHEREAS, throughout
January, public and private organizations and state and local
governments all around the country will promote education about
cervical cancer screenings, treatment and causes:
THEREFORE, I, Rod
R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby
proclaim January 2008 as CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH in Illinois
to raise awareness about cervical cancer and to encourage all women
to get tested regularly for the disease.
More than 5,000 women have signed up for the expanded Illinois
Breast and Cervical Cancer Program since Oct. 1, 2007.
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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