The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) emphatically supports the bicameral, bipartisan introduction of the Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men Act. In March, the U.S. House of Representatives Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced H.R. 1826 with Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL) and Troy Carter (D-LA) as original co-sponsors. Companion legislation, S. 2821, was introduced earlier this month by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR).
The legislation would require private insurance plans to cover prostate cancer screening for men at highest risk of the disease without any patient cost-sharing.
“For people and families at highest risk of prostate cancer, this legislation is monumental” said PCF President Gina Carithers. “Access to PSA-based screening allows men and families to catch prostate cancers at their earliest, when treatment may be most effective—and this could make a lifesaving difference.”
PCF encourages men to talk to with their families about cancer risk. Men who have a close relative with prostate cancer may be twice as likely to develop the disease. Black men are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and with more aggressive prostate cancer. For Black men or men with a family history of prostate cancer or other cancers such as breast, ovarian, and pancreatic, PCF encourages conversations with their doctors about PSA screening starting at age 40.
During National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, PCF applauds the congressional champions focused on taking action to reduce this financial barrier to prostate cancer screening through the Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men Act. Since 1993, PCF has been committed to empowering men and families to know their risk, including through appropriate access to prostate cancer screening—to understand the urgency of early detection and the power of information-driven hope.