CLOSING THE GAP FOR OHIO WOMEN
|
|
| Also listed in: Female political bloggers | Ohio Bloggers |
Comments |
Mail to a Friend
Categories: Action Alerts, Affordable Healthcare, Budget Priorities, African-American Issues, Women's Issues
Categories: Action Alerts, Affordable Healthcare, Budget Priorities, African-American Issues, Women's Issues
On the 22 of January at the Ohio State House, a luncheon is being held and members of the Komen Columbus Affiliates will be joining local television personalities, health officials, lawmakers and community members for a discussion. The subject will be closing the gap for Ohio women in the area of breast cancer treatment.
This is the information that captured my attention.
Did you know that Ohio ranks 34 in the nation in the incidence of breast cancer: yet, we have the fourth highest breast cancer in the United States?
I read that information and had to let it sink in. Ohio women have the fourth highest breast cancer mortality rate in the nation? This prompted me to RSVP. I want to know why the mortality rate is so high. I also want to hear what is going to be done to rectify this situation…
Inadequate Funding for Screening Programs
Until just this year, the state screening program only received federal funding and did not receive any state dollars. Due to lack of funding, the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project screened fewer than 10,000 - only 10 percent - of the uninsured or underinsured women eligible for the program.
According to a recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society, uninsured cancer patients are likely to die after diagnosis. The study cites the reason for the higher mortality rate is late detection. Women who are uninsured do not receive early detection screenings.
Only about 38.1 percent of uninsured women aged 40 to 64 have had a mammogram in the past two years, compared with 74.5 percent of insured women in addition, 20 percent to 30 percent of uninsured women are diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, compared with 10 to 15 percent of women with private insurance.
Uninsured women are less like to be diagnosed with early breast cancer than women who are privately insured. The disparity was greatest among white women where almost 50 percent of those who with private insurance were diagnosed with early stage cancer, compared with fewer than 35 percent of uninsured white women.
In the area of five-year survival rates, 89 percent of insured white women were living five years after breast cancer diagnosis compared to 76 percent of uninsured white women.
81 percent of insured black women were living five years after breast cancer diagnosis compared to 65 percent of uninsured black women.
Being under insured can also be detrimental to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. According to Dr. Brawley, that while these people have access to care, high co-pays and deductibles make the care unaffordable, particularly high priced chemotherapy drugs.
It is also noted in the study that people do not realize that they are under insured until they have gotten sick. This is a fact that a number of Americans do not realize until they are diagnosed with cancer.
Under insured cancer patients often do not have the ability to purchase the narcotics that are used for the pain associated with cancer treatments. They are economically devastated due to treatment costs. Many Americans do not realize that they are a cancer diagnosis away from economic disaster.
The Breast anc Cervical Treatment Act of 2000
Uninsured women under age 65 who are diagnosed with breast cancer or cervical cancer can have treatment by Medicaid, the government funded health program.
According to Dr. Otis Brawley chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, "If you are uninsured, and you are diagnosed with cancer, you have a 60 percent greater chance of dying from cancer than if you were insured and diagnosed with cancer."
"Sadly, many Americans must face the challenges of cancer with no insurance coverage, or with Medicaid, which is often grossly inadequate as coverage," said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.
While the federal government allots funds for cancer treatment, the states determine distribution of those funds. Many women do not receive Medicaid funding until after the diagnosis.
But there's good news: the Ohio legislature recently allocated $5 million in the state's budget proposal for the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project. These funds will provide women with the early screenings that they need to detect cancer.
Please take a moment to let lawmakers know that you support funding for all women to receive early detection services.
Early detection works. Believe me, I know that this is true
because my mom is a 10 year survivor of Breast Cancer. Visit this link http://www.ActNowEndBreastCancer.org
Support continued funding for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. Send a letter to lawmakers to consider supporting all policies around Breast Cancer Funding.
Think Pink Enough to Save Lives!
American Cancer Society collected data for the study that is featured in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians from the National Cancer data base. The article about the study was written by Steven Reinberg. Additional information on Ohio women was supplied by the Komen Columbus Affiliates.
This is the information that captured my attention.
Did you know that Ohio ranks 34 in the nation in the incidence of breast cancer: yet, we have the fourth highest breast cancer in the United States?
I read that information and had to let it sink in. Ohio women have the fourth highest breast cancer mortality rate in the nation? This prompted me to RSVP. I want to know why the mortality rate is so high. I also want to hear what is going to be done to rectify this situation…
Inadequate Funding for Screening Programs
Until just this year, the state screening program only received federal funding and did not receive any state dollars. Due to lack of funding, the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project screened fewer than 10,000 - only 10 percent - of the uninsured or underinsured women eligible for the program.
According to a recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society, uninsured cancer patients are likely to die after diagnosis. The study cites the reason for the higher mortality rate is late detection. Women who are uninsured do not receive early detection screenings.
Only about 38.1 percent of uninsured women aged 40 to 64 have had a mammogram in the past two years, compared with 74.5 percent of insured women in addition, 20 percent to 30 percent of uninsured women are diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, compared with 10 to 15 percent of women with private insurance.
Uninsured women are less like to be diagnosed with early breast cancer than women who are privately insured. The disparity was greatest among white women where almost 50 percent of those who with private insurance were diagnosed with early stage cancer, compared with fewer than 35 percent of uninsured white women.
In the area of five-year survival rates, 89 percent of insured white women were living five years after breast cancer diagnosis compared to 76 percent of uninsured white women.
81 percent of insured black women were living five years after breast cancer diagnosis compared to 65 percent of uninsured black women.
Being under insured can also be detrimental to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. According to Dr. Brawley, that while these people have access to care, high co-pays and deductibles make the care unaffordable, particularly high priced chemotherapy drugs.
It is also noted in the study that people do not realize that they are under insured until they have gotten sick. This is a fact that a number of Americans do not realize until they are diagnosed with cancer.
Under insured cancer patients often do not have the ability to purchase the narcotics that are used for the pain associated with cancer treatments. They are economically devastated due to treatment costs. Many Americans do not realize that they are a cancer diagnosis away from economic disaster.
The Breast anc Cervical Treatment Act of 2000
Uninsured women under age 65 who are diagnosed with breast cancer or cervical cancer can have treatment by Medicaid, the government funded health program.
According to Dr. Otis Brawley chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, "If you are uninsured, and you are diagnosed with cancer, you have a 60 percent greater chance of dying from cancer than if you were insured and diagnosed with cancer."
"Sadly, many Americans must face the challenges of cancer with no insurance coverage, or with Medicaid, which is often grossly inadequate as coverage," said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.
While the federal government allots funds for cancer treatment, the states determine distribution of those funds. Many women do not receive Medicaid funding until after the diagnosis.
But there's good news: the Ohio legislature recently allocated $5 million in the state's budget proposal for the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project. These funds will provide women with the early screenings that they need to detect cancer.
Please take a moment to let lawmakers know that you support funding for all women to receive early detection services.
Early detection works. Believe me, I know that this is true
because my mom is a 10 year survivor of Breast Cancer. Visit this link http://www.ActNowEndBreastCancer.org
Support continued funding for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. Send a letter to lawmakers to consider supporting all policies around Breast Cancer Funding.
Think Pink Enough to Save Lives!
American Cancer Society collected data for the study that is featured in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians from the National Cancer data base. The article about the study was written by Steven Reinberg. Additional information on Ohio women was supplied by the Komen Columbus Affiliates.
