AB 1520

April 27 - Success: Assembly Bill 1520 Passes Health Committee Hearing

We are pleased to announce that the Assembly Health Committee has passed our bill (10 to 0) – this being our first hurdle – and can now move forward to appropriations committee.

Please join our coalition supporting AB 1520 and help make prostate cancer screening accessible and affordable in California!

This bill will save lives and help lessen healthcare disparities!

SUPPORT Cost Free Prostate Cancer Screenings with AB 1520

In 2021, the American Cancer Society estimates 4,140 California men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men in California. Join the coalition to support Assembly Bill 1520 (AB 1520).

Introduced by Assemblymember Marc Levine and Sen. Ben Allen, AB 1520 would prohibit a health insurance policy from applying a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance for prostate cancer screening. The bill is specifically tailored to apply to individuals who are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer such as individuals over the age of 55 and high-risk individuals over the age of 40. High risk is defined as a person who is Black, has a family history of prostate cancer, has a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer, or is a veteran. Currently, mammograms and colonoscopies are cost free in California. This bill would level the playing field.

CLICK LINK BELOW FOR AB 1520 TEXT / STATUS

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1520

FACT SHEET

AB 1520 (Levine) Fact Sheet.v2pdf

The first hearing for AB 1520 is scheduled for April 27th at 1:30 PM PST. 

Take Action Now!

Ask your lawmakers to support access to cost free prostate cancer screenings for men in California. Urge them to support AB 1520 today! As you know, someone’s life depends on no barrier access to prostate cancer screenings.
Physician Link to Take Action:  https://p2a.co/wllx3og

Advocate Organization:
Please add your organization to the support letter- simply email us your logo, society name and representative name and title.

Support Letter for CA AB 1520

Or sign-on using our online form:

https://forms.gle/4ey5dpbHyhVpGfao8

For more information or questions, please contact:

Ali Manson, MPH
Ali@zerocancer.org
VP, Government Relations & Advocacy
ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer

Coalition as of April 21, 2021

ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer
California Black Health Network
California Urological Association
Marin Prostate Cancer and Information Support Group
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, Inc.
Oakland CA Prostate Cancer Support Group, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
American Association of Clinical Urologists
American Urological Association
Answer Cancer Foundation
Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN)
Us Too International
Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness
Malecare - Men Fighting Cancer, Together
ICAN, International Cancer Advocacy Network
National Oncology State Network

KEY POINTS

  1. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States and a significant healthcare problem due to its high incidence. Although one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, the odds increase to one in six if they are Black, and one in three if they have a family history.
  2. For 2021, the American Cancer Society projects 25,880 new cases of prostate cancer in California, making it the highest incidence of prostate cancer in America.
  3. The incidence of prostate cancer is almost 80 percent higher in Black men, who have a two-fold higher rate of prostate cancer mortality relative to men of other races. Black men are diagnosed with more aggressive disease, at younger ages, and at higher incidence compared to white men in settings of equal access to treatment.
  4. This racial disparity in mortality is currently the worst among all cancers in the United States; and to eliminate disparities in prostate cancer we must eliminate the barriers for screening to maximize the early detection of cancer when it is at its most treatable and least lethal stage.
  5. The clinical value of prostate cancer screening has been scientifically validated and endorsed by the American Urological Association, American Cancer Society, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine. It is a necessary step to diagnose prostate cancer as part of a larger conversation between patient and provider about prostate cancer risk.
  6. Late-stage prostate cancers place an increased economic burden on the health care system, including lost worker productivity and increased financial burdens for patients and their caregivers.
  7. Existing law requires health insurance policies to provide coverage for the screening and diagnosis of prostate cancer, the cost of these services may deter or prevent high-risk and underserved populations from seeking care and detecting early-stage disease.
  8. Similar legislation was passed in New York (SB 6882, 2018) and Maryland (SB 661, 2020), which eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for high-risk patients while also protecting them from discrimination and preserving their access to necessary, and often, life-saving screening.