* Hmmm…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oof…
Responding to Governor Rauner’s “Facebook Live” on breast cancer detection and awareness, breast cancer advocates will hold their own “Facebook Live” to talk about how Illinois’ budget impasse has left low-income women without access to mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams and Pap tests that could save their lives.
“Since FY 2015, the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program has lost $22 million in state funding,” said Teena Francois-Blue, MPH, Associate Director of Community Initiatives and Research for the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Taskforce. “This program makes it possible for low-income women to get health screenings that detect cancers early, when there are better treatment options. It is tragic that some Illinois women may have lost their chance for early, successful cancer treatment because our state budget was being held hostage for political reasons.”
“When Governor Rauner announced his Facebook Live session, he illustrated it with a photograph of his dog wearing a pink ribbon around her neck, saying, ‘Stella is doing her part to raise awareness and we are, too,’” said Beulah Brent, Board President of Sisters Working It Out (SWIO). “Frankly, I find that insulting. Illinois women need access to life-saving screening services, not photographs of family pets.”
Francois-Blue added: “Governor Rauner’s mother-in-law was successfully treated for breast cancer in 1987, and she has been cancer-free ever since. We believe that every woman in Illinois should have that same chance for early detection and a long, healthy life. Unfortunately, many low-income women and women of color don’t have access to high-quality screening and treatment services – a disparity that can cost them their lives. Illinois women don’t need an online chat with a nurse-practitioner; they need reliable funding that will give them access to breast exams, mammograms, pelvic exams and Pap smears.”
This Facebook Live event is being presented by the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Taskforce and members of the Responsible Budget Coalition, a large, diverse non-partisan coalition of more than 300 organizations unified in support of a fully funded, yearlong state budget with adequate revenue to serve our people and empower our communities.
Emphasis added for obvious reasons.
*** UPDATE 2 *** He did take the question and gave the standard answer…
*** UPDATE 3 *** From the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force…
Hi Rich,
Hope you had a chance to see our response to Rauner Live on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MCBCTF/
Just wanted to follow up on why the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) and Stand Against Cancer (SAC) are so important and the $22 million in state funding cuts are so harmful.
1. One-third of Illinois’ population is Latino. Many immigrants do not have insurance and are not currently eligible for insurance on the ACA exchange or through Medicaid. IBCCP and SAC are two programs that provide lifesaving screenings, diagnostics and treatment for this population.
2. Many women who are newly insured get their screening covered for free, but then face a $1,000+ deductible for diagnostic follow up. Follow-up diagnostic screens can cost a woman anywhere from $300-$700, and a biopsy cost the woman $1,000 in out of pocket costs due to high deductibles. It is well-established that the subsidies assist people with covering their health insurance premiums but that they do nothing to assist with the deductible. The costs of diagnostic services are extremely high and pose a significant financial barrier both to early diagnosis and care.
3. Many small business owners and people who make above a certain income do not receive any subsidies. These individuals must bear the full cost their premiums, deductibles and other out of pocket expenses. Often these costs pose unreasonable barriers to care. These programs provide a safety net for people to assure that they are still able to get swift access to quality care.
Additionally, Rauner’s cut of $22 million to IBCCP and SAC have contributed to significant delays in care for Illinois women and risking women’s lives.
Thanks for your attention to this important matter,
Sincerely
Ariel J. Thomas, MS
Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force
*** UPDATE 4 *** From the governor’s office…
Despite decreasing demand for state support due to requirements of the Affordable Care Act that women be covered free of charge by insurers, Governor Rauner ensured $5 million in additional state dollars was allocated for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program in this summer’s bridge funding. Governor Rauner agrees that funding for preventative services is of the utmost importance, which underscores why he held today’s Facebook Live highlighting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and signed legislation to improve early detection methods by requiring insurance plans, including Medicaid, to cover 3D mammography.
