CABCO Legislative Priorities for 2005

1- Lymphedema Treatment

CABCO will be working with the office of Assemblymember Carol Liu to obtain passage of legislation that will ensure that insurers provide adequate coverage for all diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema.

2- Access to Quality Healthcare for All

In line with the priorities of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC ), CABCO supports provision of access to quality healthcare for all. NBCC has established "Principles for Healthcare Coverage." Any legislation will be measured against these principles before decisions whether to support or not support are made.

3- Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Programs.

CABCO will be monitoring the budget and the policies of the governor toward the screeening and treatment (MediCal) programs to be sure that the funding is maintained for these important programs.

4- Opposition to SB 600 - Biomonitoring.

> CABCO is in opposition to this bill. Information such as this should be collected as a part of a hypothesis driven, peer-reviewed program and should not be legislated as a loosely defined program on its own.

CABCO is in support of Federal legislation that will provide funding to the National Institue of Environmental Health Sciences to create up to eight multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research center to formulate hypotheses and research programs to study the relationship between the environment and breast cancer. NIEHS in 2003 showed its interest in this type of research in providing funding for four initial centers that are examining the environment and breast cancer in adolescent children. We hope to build upon that initial step with the proposed federal legislation.

> As written, it is likely that breast milk will be one of the biospecimens examined. Such determinations may discourage breast-feeding. Mothers will be told that their milk may contain harmful toxins. They will be informed that, in spite of this possibility, mother’s milk remains the best means of feeding new born and young babies. This information on the presence of toxic substances in the breast milk will undoubtedly reduce the number of mothers who take advantage of this recommended method of feeding and nourishing babies.

SUMMARY: Scientific programs should not be determined by the legislature, but should undergo the scrutiny of the scientific peer-review process. CABCO feels that in the right situation, as part of a peer-reviewed program, this type of database could provide meaningful information. However, as presented, this is an extremely expensive proposal that will not provide meaningful information. The scientific community has yet to determine what this information means and how to utilize it. On this basis CABCO must oppose this bill.