Cancer Screening Coverage Act (CASCA)

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Cancer screening allows for the detection of cancer in its earliest form, when the cost of treatment is the least. Here are some of the facts:

The anticipated number of new cancer cases diagnosed in 2011 are 299,200 for men and 270,290 for women
•    Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans
•    Of all deaths in America, 1 out of every 4 is caused by cancer
•    Since 1990, more than 15 million new cases of cancer have been diagnosed
•    In 2007, there were 562,875 cancer deaths in the US
•    Cancer incidence rates are higher in men than women in each racial/ethnic population
•    Among men, African Americans have the highest incidence
•    The survival rates for all cancers combined and for certain site-specific cancers have improved significantly since the 1970s, due, in part, to both earlier detection and advances in treatment

Many advances have been made, but the key to survival is early detection. It is estimated that the rate of survival would increase from 80% to 95% if all Americans participated in regular cancer screenings. The Cancer Screening Coverage Act (CASCA) would require the coverage of certain types of cancer screening by group health plans and by health insurance issuers offering coverage in both the group and individual markets. The bill would add the same set of provisions to the following federal statutes: Public Health Service Act, the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code. By amending all three statutes, the new requirements would apply to a broad range of group health plans, as well as state-licensed health insurance organization. The bill would require coverage of mammograms, clinical breast exams, Pap tests and pelvic exams, colorectal cancer screening procedures, and prostate cancer screening.