WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation to expand insurance coverage for prostate cancer screenings.
The bipartisan Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Screening for High-risk Insured Men (HIM) Act would require private health insurance plans to cover preventive prostate cancer screenings without imposing any cost sharing requirements for men who are at high risk of developing prostate cancer.
“Diagnosing prostate cancer early is imperative to successful treatment. I know from personal experience in my own family the impact this disease has on patients and their loved ones. Increasing access to early screening for at-risk men will save lives. I am proud to be a voice in Congress for all those affected, because together we can help keep prostate cancer treatable and raise needed awareness,” said Boozman.
“Costs shouldn’t impose a barrier between people and lifesaving health screening services,” said Booker. “Prostate cancer is a serious health concern, especially for African-American men and men with family history of this disease as they are more likely to face diagnosis and mortality. This bipartisan legislation would make prostate cancer screenings more accessible to all high-risk men, so we can reduce health disparities and increase early detection to save lives.”
Prostate cancer affects one in eight American men in their lifetime. Individuals who have at least one close family member diagnosed with the disease are at least twice as likely to be diagnosed themselves. The risk increases with each additional family member affected.
Prostate cancer disproportionately affects African-American men as they are 1.8 times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease and 2.2 times more likely to die from it.
Currently, the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is the most effective tool for detection. When detected in Stage 1 it’s almost 100 percent survivable.
