The American Association of Clinical Urology (AACU) publicly supports H.R. 1826/ S.2821 titled “PSA Screening for HIM Act” sponsored by Representatives Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) in the House and Senator Booker (D-NJ) and John Boozman (R-AR) in the Senate.
Founded in 1968 by urologists concerned by the government’s increasing role in the practice of medicine, the AACU is a professional organization representing the interests of more than 3,700+ member urologists, and urologic societies engaged as advocacy affiliates across the United States. We are dedicated to developing and advancing health policy education as it affects urologic practice in order to preserve and promote the professional autonomy of our members and support the highest quality of care for patients.
The bill would require health insurance providers to offer PSA screenings without any cost-sharing requirements (copays, deductibles, or coinsurance) for African-American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer between the ages of 55 and 69.
According to Zero Prostate Cancer “The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is the most effective tool we have right now to detect prostate cancer, and most instances of prostate cancer are initially detected with this test. PSA is a substance made by the prostate, and the levels of PSA in the blood can be higher in men who have prostate cancer. By testing the PSA levels, we are able to detect possible signs of prostate cancer. The earlier the disease is caught, the higher the survival rates: prostate cancer caught in Stage 1 is almost 100% survivable. However, if caught at a later stage, survival rates plummet to below 30%.”
The AACU feels as though a lot of men still are reluctant to get PSA screening, and a lot of the time it’s because of the cost of the test. Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island are a few states that have enacted no-cost prostate cancer screening legislation.
The AACU, working with the AUA and ZERO, have formed a collaborative task force to work in various states and introduce and get this legislation passed so that men can get appropriately screened for prostate cancer. Certainly, there’s a lot of men at risk for this, especially those of lower socioeconomic class, and getting them screened and getting them treated if they have prostate cancer is important.
We stand with our partners in lending our continued support again for this important legislation to pass.