S.Amdt. 3900

SA 3900. Mr. CARPER (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1955, to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to expand health care access and reduce costs through the creation of small business health plans and through modernization of the health insurance marketplace; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. CANCER SCREENING.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

(1) About 1,400,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006.

(2) Medical costs, lost wages, and lost productivity due to cancer cost the United States and estimated $210,000,000,000 in 2005.

(3) In 2006, cancer will take the lives of 565,000 Americans, or about 1,500 people per day.

(4) About half of all new cancer cases can be prevented or detected earlier through screening.

(5) The 5 year survival rate for cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, cervix, prostate, oral cavity, and skin is currently about 86 percent, in part due to earlier diagnosis through screening. If these cancers were diagnosed at the earliest stage through regular cancer screenings, that survival rate could increase to 95 percent.

(b) Limitations.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act (or an amendment made by this Act), nothing in this Act (or amendment) shall be construed to permit a small business health plan to be offered in a State, or to permit the offering of any other health insurance coverage in such State, if the plan or coverage fails to comply with laws of the State that require coverage for cancer screening, including screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, lung, uterine, skin, colon, stomach, and other cancers.