SCLD Update
1997 Year In Review

Breast Cancer Detection
Cervical Cancer Detection
Prostate Cancer Detection
Ovarian Cancer Detection
Testicular Cancer Detection
Gynecologic Cancers-General
Cancer-General
Tobacco-Use Reduction
Cancer Registries
State-of-the-Art Treatment
Occupational Exposure Reduction
Enacted Legislation and Adopted Resolutions

Cervical Cancer Detection
Third-Party Reimbursement

Three states—Illinois, Louisiana, and Nevada—passed laws regarding insurance coverage for cervical cancer screening. Illinois requires designated insurers, HMOs, and public employee health plans to provide coverage for an annual Pap smear or cervical smear. In Louisiana, the State Employees' Group Benefits Program must provide coverage for cervical cancer detection. Nevada amended existing legislation by prohibiting specified insurers, including HMOs, from requiring prior authorization for cytologic screening services required by law.

Cytology Quality Assurance

Florida and Nevada both enacted cytology quality assurance legislation. The Florida law specifies experience and education requirements for clinical laboratory directors. The legislation passed in Nevada requires the state Board of Health to adopt regulations establishing the length of time specified records must kept. Out-of-state laboratories may be required to be licensed in accordance with this law before examining any specimens collected in the state. Regulations adopted by the Board of Health, except for the qualifications and duties of laboratory personnel, may not be more stringent than the Federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P.L. 100-578).

Screening Programs

Legislation in Connecticut appropriated specified funds to the state Department of Public Health for Cervical Cancer Detection and Treatment for fiscal years 1997-98 and 1998-99.