Women's Health Task Force

Dear Representative:

The undersigned 43 organizations are writing to urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 4055, which will require Medicare to cover testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of cervical cancer, as part of routine cervical cancer screening for older women. The bill was introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT.) on November 1, 2007, and is currently co-sponsored by Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Anna G. Eshoo (D–CA), Jim Moran (D-VA), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Steve Cohen, (D-TN), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Henry Waxman (D-CA). By reaching older women, this bill will help ensure that all women have access to potentially lifesaving cervical cancer prevention techniques.

Women aged 65 and older account for nearly 20 percent of all new cervical cancer cases and more than 35 percent of all deaths from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. This year, 11,150 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,670 women will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Widespread screening programs using the Pap test have produced significant reductions in cervical cancer rates in the U.S. The Pap test helps detect cellular changes caused by HPV infection.

An HPV test is approved by the FDA for use, in conjunction with the Pap test, in women aged 30 and older. HPV testing identifies women who are infected with high-risk types of HPV that could potentially lead to cervical cancer. When used with a Pap test in women aged 30 and older, an HPV test increases to nearly 100 percent a clinician’s ability to identify women who have the risk factor for cervical cancer and thus require diligent follow-up as long as the virus persists.

Knowing if an older woman has HPV could help determine if and how often she should continue to be screened. Multiple studies have suggested that incorporating HPV testing into screening programs, per established medical guidelines, improves outcomes while being more cost-effective than those programs without HPV testing.

Ultimately, of course, it is up to clinicians to decide which tests are most appropriate for their patients. But if Medicare covers HPV testing, clinicians will have more options than they currently have to help prevent older women from developing cervical cancer.

HPV testing is included in cervical cancer screening guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Cancer Society, the Association for Reproductive Health Professionals, the American Medical Women’s Association and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. Most private insurance companies and state Medicaid programs already cover HPV testing as part of routine cervical cancer screening for women aged 30 and older.

H.R. 4055 will help ensure that older women have the same access to the advanced cervical cancer prevention techniques that younger women currently receive, which will help better protect all women from this preventable disease. Thank you for your consideration and support of this important women’s health issue.

Sincerely,

AFL-CIO
A. Philip Randolph Institute
Alliance for Retired Americans
Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Women's Health Physicians
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
American Medical Women’s Association
American Public Health Association
American Social Health Association
Association for Gerontology and Human Development in Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Black Women's Health Imperative
B'nai B'rith International
Business and Professional Women of Maryland
Business and Professional Women/USA
CA Nurses Association
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Feminist Majority Foundation
Gray Panthers
Hadassah
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO
Montgomery County (MD) Business and Professional Women
National Association of Commissions for Women
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
National Association of Social Workers
National Black Nurses Association
National Council of Women’s Organizations
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
New York Professional Nurses Union
OWL – The Voice of Midlife and Older Women
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health
Society for Women’s Health Research
Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees
United American Nurses, AFL-CIO
Utility Workers Union of American, Local 132, AFL-CIO
Women’s Health Task Force (sponsored by National Council of Women’s Organizations)
Yellow Umbrella Organization
Younger Women’s Task Force (sponsored by National Council of Women’s Organizations)

June 9, 2008