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June 1, 2001 Women’s health matters in Missouri By Missouri Speaker of the House Jim Kreider It has been said that behind every great man there is a great woman. In my case it’s four: my mother, who still makes her home in the Ozarks, my lovely bride of 25 years, Debbie, and my daughters, Lacey and Neeley. Life without them is unimaginable. So it is unconscionable that an insurance company or health care provider would purposely ignore their health needs for the sake of saving a few dollars. Yet that is exactly the situation facing hundreds of Missouri women each day. According to the state Department of Health, nearly three times as many women die each year from breast or cervical cancer as there are men who die of prostate cancer. Yet prostate cancer screenings are standard on most insurance plans, while corresponding examination for women are not. With these and many other issues in mind, I was proud to introduce and sponsor a comprehensive health care initiative that requires insurance companies and HMOs to cover regular screening and examinations for women. Members of the Missouri House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the measure, which now awaits action in the Senate. Specifically, the Women’s Health Initiative requires health insurance providers to include obstetrical/gynecological coverage, and give women the option to see the OB/GYN of her choice without a referral from a primary care provider. The bill also requires insurance providers to annually notify enrollees of cancer screening covered under the health care plan; to provide coverage for bone density testing for post menopausal women; and to offer contraceptive coverage. It’s truly a life cycle approach to women’s health care. The American Cancer Society estimates that 3,700 Missouri women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year - - 800 of them will not survive. Another 300 will test positive for cervical cancer, and 80 percent of those will die because they have not had a pap smear within the last five years. According to a Jefferson City physician who participated in the announcement of the Women’s Health Initiative, we could virtually wipe out cervical cancer in Missouri if every woman had an annual pap smear. And if women have access to reminders and yearly screenings, the incidence of cancer in its advanced form would drop to practically zero. A breast cancer survivor who also participated in the announcement echoed the importance of early detection, stating that due to regular screenings, her cancer was detected early and treated before it had a chance to spread. Traditionally, women are the family members most likely to make sure other members of the family have check-ups. Annual notification would remind our mothers, daughters and wives that their health matters. Too many Missouri women have suffered needlessly because they did not have access to proper examinations and screenings. It is time we make this a thing of the past. This is a subject on which we can all agree, as House members passed the Women’s Health Initiative by a vote of 148 to 3. Republicans and Democrats, as well as pro-choice and pro-life factions agree that this is an important issue that should be passed into law. Since early detection is the key to survival, one visit to a doctor’s office can make a difference. I hope all of you will encourage your representatives and senators to support the Women’s Health Initiative, because with this new legislation, we can make that difference. | |||||
Paid for by Kreider for Senator.
Bobby Neal Jr., Treasurer. Not at taxpayer's expense.
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