PRINTER'S NO. 747
No. 709 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY BELAN, STOUT, COSTA, AFFLERBACH, WAGNER, BODACK,
BELL, MELLOW, SCHWARTZ AND STAPLETON, MARCH 13, 1997
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 13, 1997
AN ACT
1 Providing for grants to health care facilities, health
2 maintenance organizations and physicians to conduct cancer
3 screening programs.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Cancer
8 Screening Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
14 "Health care facility." A general or special hospital, both
15 profit and nonprofit, including hospitals operated by an agency
16 of State or local government.
17 "Health maintenance organization." An organization system
18 which combines the delivery and financing of health care and
1 which provides basic health services to voluntarily enrolled
2 subscribers for a fixed prepaid fee, as defined in the act of
3 December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known as the Health
4 Maintenance Organization Act.
5 "Physician." An individual licensed under the laws of this
6 Commonwealth to practice medicine and surgery within the scope
7 of the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), known as the
8 Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, or the act of December 20,
9 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as the Medical Practice Act of
10 1985.
11 Section 3. Grants for cancer screening.
12 (a) Administration of program.--The department shall develop
13 and administer a program to provide grants to health care
14 facilities, health maintenance organizations and physicians to
15 conduct cancer screening procedures.
16 (b) Distribution of grants.--The department shall insure
17 that the grants are equitably distributed among all counties of
18 this Commonwealth so that cancer screening is available to all
19 persons who desire to undergo screening.
20 Section 4. Types of cancer included in screening.
21 (a) Men.--The grant program under this act shall provide for
22 procedures designed to detect the following types of cancer in
23 men:
24 (1) Prostate.
25 (2) Testicular.
26 (3) Oral.
27 (4) Skin.
28 (5) Colon and rectal.
29 (b) Women.--The grant program shall provide for procedures
30 designed to detect the following types of cancer in women:
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1 (1) Breast.
2 (2) Cervical.
3 (3) Oral.
4 (4) Skin.
5 (5) Colon and rectal.
6 (c) Mammogram.--The grant program shall provide for the
7 availability of mammograms to detect breast cancer.
8 Section 5. Funding.
9 The grant program under this act shall be funded by the tax
10 imposed under section 1206 of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6,
11 No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971.
12 Section 6. Rules and regulations.
13 The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to
14 administer this act.
15 Section 7. Coordination of grants.
16 The department shall coordinate grants made under this act
17 with grants made under the act of December 18, 1980 (P.L.1241,
18 No.224), known as the Pennsylvania Cancer Control, Prevention
19 and Research Act, to insure that cancer screening is available
20 to all residents of this Commonwealth.
21 Section 8. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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