Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) announced that all women at risk for breast cancer will now have additional access to preventive medication under the Affordable Care Act.  This new coverage requires that most health insurance plans must soon cover chemoprevention medications such as tamoxifen and raloxifine at no additional cost.

“In Texas, nearly 115,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer this past year. Breast Cancer remains one of the most pervasive cancers for women in the nation, and prevention is necessary in saving the lives of millions of women,” said Congressman Cuellar. “I am glad to see the Affordable Care Act continue to deliver important benefits that promote healthy lifestyles and practices by providing Texas women expanded coverage for breast cancer prevention.  .”

“The Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation of San Antonio, TX applauds the decision of HHS to include in Obamacare the coverage of out-of-pocket expenses or co-pays for breast cancer prevention drugs,” said Dale Eastman, Chair of Advocacy and Government Relations at the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation.  “This change will enable women and men who carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene or those who are at high risk of developing breast cancer to have a choice of prevention without the burden of cost.”

San Antonio Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation advocates in Washington ready to work

“A terminal illness like cancer can affect not only the individual, but also communities, said Julie Bazan, Chair of the Laredo Health Coalition and Executive Director of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center.  “When we learned about ACA providing for the cost of preventive medications (that can help reduce cancer) for women with an increased risk of breast cancer we were thrilled.   This benefit is indeed a great resource for everyone in our community and will help us in our mission to educate, empower and support our community.

Since 2012, 20.4 million women with private health insurance have received preventive services at no extra cost. Under the new guidelines released by the Department of Health and Human Services last week, women at risk for breast cancer due to family history, age, or other factors will now be able to access risk-preventing medication without co-pays or out-of-pocket expenses. In addition to the availability of risk-preventing medicine, women over 40 can seek chemoprevention counseling, mammogram screening, and other prevention services at no cost.

For additional information consult the sites below.

o   Alamo Healthcare Systems Official Website http://www.alamohealthcare.com/

o   Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official website http://www.cms.gov/

o   University of  Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center: http://www.uthscsa.edu/cstp/areas/MidRGV.aspx

o   The White House Official Blog http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/01/09/affordable-care-act-giving-women-high-risk-breast-cancer-access-free-chemoprevention