Saturday December 27 10:19 AM EST
Clinton: Medicare Changes Can Fight Cancer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Recalling his own mother's death from cancer, President Clinton drew
attention Saturday to efforts to fight the disease by expanding Medicare's coverage of tests to detect
breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.
Speaking in his weekly radio address, Clinton highlighted a series of provisions in the balanced
budget agreement reached last summer to extend the availability of mammograms, pap smears and
colorectal screening exams.
All of the provisions were made public earlier this year because they were part of a budget deal
hammered out by Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress.
"My own mother passed away just about four years ago from cancer and, especially at this time of
year, I miss her a lot," Clinton said in the radio address, which was taped on Christmas Eve. "So
many other families have the same story."
"That's why these actions are so important," he added. "By detecting cancer early on we offer our
loved ones one of the greatest gifts of all -- the gifts of life, health and many holidays to come."
Clinton's mother, Virginia Kelley, died of breast cancer in January 1994.
The actions outlined by Clinton take the form of changes to Medicare, a chiefly government-funded
program that provides health care to 38 million people, most of them elderly.
Under the budget accord, Medicare from Jan. 1 will cover annual mammograms for all women aged
40 and over. It will also waive the deductible payment for the tests, making them more affordable.
In an effort to combat cervical cancer, Medicare coverage will expand to pay for pap smears and
pelvic exams every three years. It will also cover annual tests for women at risk for that type of
cancer.
To help prevent and detect colorectal cancer, Medicare will cover regular colorectal screening tests.
Under current law, such tests are only covered if the patient has symptoms that indicate he or she
may have cancer or another disease. |
