Florida Senate - 2009                                    SB 1880
       
       
       
       By Senator Peaden
       
       
       
       
       2-01743-09                                            20091880__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to breast cancer; creating a referral
    3         program within the Department of Health for the early
    4         detection and treatment of breast cancer; providing
    5         definitions; providing requirements for the program;
    6         requiring the department to provide clinical breast
    7         examinations and screening mammograms for low-income
    8         women between specified ages; requiring that the State
    9         Surgeon General annually report to the Legislature the
   10         rate of breast cancer morbidity and mortality in this
   11         state and the extent of participation in breast cancer
   12         screening; requiring the organizations providing
   13         testing and treatment services to report to the
   14         department the insurer of each underinsured woman who
   15         is tested; providing an effective date.
   16         
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18         
   19         Section 1. Referral program for the early detection and
   20  treatment of breast cancer.—
   21         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   22         (a) “Department” means the Department of Health.
   23         (b) “Unserved or underserved populations” mean women who:
   24         1. Have incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal
   25  poverty level for individuals;
   26         2. Do not have health insurance that covers breast cancer
   27  screenings; and
   28         3. Are between 19 and 64 years of age, inclusive.
   29         (2) There is established, within existing appropriations, a
   30  referral program within the department for the early detection
   31  and treatment of breast cancer for the purpose of promoting
   32  screening, detection, and treatment of breast cancer among
   33  unserved or underserved populations, educating the public
   34  regarding breast cancer and the benefits of early detection, and
   35  providing counseling and referral services for the treatment of
   36  breast cancer.
   37         (3) The program shall include, but need not be limited to:
   38         (a) A public education and outreach initiative to publicize
   39  early detection services for breast cancer, the extent of
   40  coverage for such services by health insurers, the benefits of
   41  early detection of breast cancer, and the recommended frequency
   42  of screening services, including clinical breast examinations
   43  and mammography.
   44         (b) Education programs, including programs on the benefits
   45  of early detection of breast cancer and the recommended
   46  frequency of mammography.
   47         (c) A system to track and provide followup services for all
   48  women who are screened for breast cancer in the referral
   49  program, including, but not limited to, followup services for
   50  women who receive an abnormal screening test, referral of women
   51  to treatment when needed, and scheduling women to be screened at
   52  recommended screening intervals.
   53         (d) Assurance that all participating health care providers
   54  of breast cancer screening are in compliance with national and
   55  state legislative mandates for quality assurance.
   56         (4) The department shall provide unserved or underserved
   57  populations, within existing appropriations, through contracts
   58  with health care providers to provide clinical breast
   59  examinations and screening mammograms as recommended in the most
   60  current guidelines for breast cancer screening established by
   61  the United States Preventive Services Task Force.
   62         (5) The State Surgeon General shall report annually to the
   63  legislative committees that are responsible for public health
   64  legislation and appropriations. The report shall include, but
   65  need not be limited to, a description of the rate of breast
   66  cancer morbidity and mortality in this state and the extent of
   67  participation by women in breast cancer screening.
   68         (6) The organizations that provide the testing and
   69  treatment services in the referral program shall report to the
   70  department the insurer of each underinsured woman who is tested
   71  through the program in order to facilitate recoupment of the
   72  costs of services.
   73         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.