The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49163

Alison Marie Breen, BHA, Medi-Cal Benefits Branch, California Department of Health Services, 714 P Street, Room 1640, Sacramento, CA 95814, 916/657-1096, abreen@dhs.ca.gov, Miyoko Sawamura, Medi-Cal Eligiblity Branch, Department of Health Services, 714 P Street, Room 1440, Sacramento, CA 95814, Kathleen Mintert, LCSW, Cancer Detection Section, Department of Health Services, 611 N. 7th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816, Jacquolyn Duerr, MPH, California Department of Health Services, Cancer Detection Section, 601 N 7th Street, MS-428, PO Box 942732, Sacramento, CA 94234, and Gene Hiehle, MA, Medical Care Statistics, Department of Health Services, 714 P Street, Room 1743, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Learning Objectives:

• California’s breast and cervical cancer treatment program represents over 7 years of tireless work by public and private partnerships and individuals committed to reducing disease mortality in the population of poor and indigent women and men. The program was created through implementation of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 2000, became effective in California January 1, 2002, and is currently the largest program of its kind in the Nation. The program goal is to couple screening with timely treatment to reduce disease mortality.
• At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to discuss the evolution and development of California’s treatment program benefits. The California program covers poor indigent persons identified through breast and cervical cancer screening programs and diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, and includes both federal and state coverage for program benefits. The presentation will include description of program design and initial enrollments onto the state’s unique breast and cervical cancer on-line eligibility verification system. The knowledge gained during this session can be applied toward other public health program expansion efforts and coverage, for example, colon cancer. Participants will also be able to identify initial challenges faced in implementing a program of California’s size and complexity and will be provided an in-depth description of the first seven months of implementation of the California Program.

Keywords: Breast Cancer Programs, Cervical Cancer

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.