Sherrod Brown: “Today the Committee on Commerce will consider legislation reauthorizing the Mammography Quality Standards Act, a program…”

“Today the Committee on Commerce will consider legislation reauthorizing the Mammography Quality Standards Act, a program which has saved countless lives by improving the quality and accuracy of life-saving breast cancer screenings. While we improve early detection and screening of this deadly disease, women who suffer from breast cancer continue to be denied the best medical treatments available because medical decisions are too often made by insurance company HMO bureaucrats. The bipartisan Patients Bill of Rights would ensure that women could stay in the hospital overnight following radical breast surgery. The Republican bill does not. The bipartisan Patients Bill of Rights would ensure that women can receive reconstructive surgery following mastectomy. The Republican bill does not. This House has passed the Republican Insurance Company Bill of Rights. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing. Insist on a real Patients Bill of Rights, legislation which provides real protections for women.”