SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 114
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress to enact Find It Early Act.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution urging Congress to enact the Find It Early Act.
Whereas, Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in New Jersey; and
Whereas, According to the American Cancer Society, in 2024, over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer will be identified and approximately 42,000 women will die from breast cancer in the United States; and
Whereas, Screenings for breast cancer, such as mammography, aim to reduce mortality and morbidity of breast cancer by detecting cancer in its early stage; and
Whereas, Early detection of breast cancer is critical, as the five-year survival rate is 99 percent when breast cancer is diagnosed before it has spread outside of the breast; and
Whereas, The five-year survival rate for breast cancer decreases to approximately 30 percent when diagnosed after the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or bones; and
Whereas, The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all women get screened for breast cancer every other year beginning at age 40; and
Whereas, Nearly half of all women over the age of 40 have dense breasts, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer; and
Whereas, Dense breast tissue may obscure the visual imaging performed by mammograms, making cancer harder to detect in its early stage; and
Whereas, The reduced sensitivity of mammography for detecting cancer in dense breasts is a major contributing factor to the missed early detection of breast cancer, accounting for an estimated 267,000 undetected cases of breast cancer in 2021 alone; and
Whereas, To ensure that the cancer is not missed by mammograms, individuals with dense breasts or other breast cancer risk factors, including genetics or a personal or family history of cancer, may seek additional screenings, such as breast ultrasounds or breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), which may better detect breast cancer; and
Whereas, However, because the costs of breast ultrasounds and MRIs may not be fully covered by insurance, women who are at greater risk of breast cancer may be faced with incurring exorbitant out of pocket costs or forgoing the screenings altogether; and
Whereas, Recognizing that the high costs of additional breast cancer screenings may result in delayed diagnoses, on May 5, 2023, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro introduced H.R. 3086, known as the Find It Early Act, which would require all health insurance plans to cover breast cancer screenings and diagnostic imaging, including mammograms, breast ultrasounds, and breast MRIs, for women with dense breasts or other breast cancer risk factors at no cost to the insured; and
Whereas, By ensuring that breast cancer screenings and diagnostic imaging are covered without cost-sharing, the Find It Early Act will improve the affordability of and increase access to screenings to detect breast cancer early; and
Whereas, As early detection is key to significantly improving the survival rates of women with breast cancer, it is therefore in the public interest of the nation and the State of New Jersey for Congress to take swift action to enact the Find It Early Act; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature of New Jersey urges Congress to enact the Find It Early Act.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges Congress to enact the Find It Early Act to ensure women who are at greater risk for breast cancer have access to breast cancer screenings without cost-sharing.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in New Jersey. Screenings for breast cancer aim to reduce the mortality and morbidity of breast cancer by detecting cancer in its early stage. Early detection of breast cancer is critical. The five-year survival rate is 99 percent when breast cancer is diagnosed before it has spread outside of the breast compared to approximately 30 percent when found at a later stage.
Approximately half of women over age 40 have dense breast tissue, which can obscure imaging performed by mammograms and delay the detection of breast cancer. To ensure that the cancer is not missed by mammograms, individuals with dense breasts or other risk factors may seek additional screenings, including breast ultrasounds and MRIs, which may be better able to detect cancer. Such services, however, may not be covered by insurance, leaving women to choose between paying exorbitant out of pocket costs or forgoing the screenings.
Recognizing that the high costs of additional breast cancer screenings may result in delayed diagnoses, Congress introduced H.R.3086, known as the Find It Early Act, which would ensure all health insurance plans cover breast cancer screenings and diagnostic imaging, including breast ultrasounds and MRIs, for women at increased risk of breast cancer at no additional cost to the insured. The Legislature of New Jersey urges Congress to enact the Find It Early Act to improve the affordability of and increase access to screenings needed to detect breast cancer early to improve the survival rates of individuals with breast cancer.