Secretary Sebelius on Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hi. I’m Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to reaffirm our commitment to fighting breast cancer and remind ourselves of the importance of prevention and early detection. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. But when it’s caught early and treated, survival rates can be nearly 100 percent. That’s why the Obama Administration is working to make sure all women can get screenings and the care they need. Under the health care law, tens of millions of women can now get mammograms without paying a dollar out of pocket. And starting in 2014, it will finally be illegal for insurers to deny coverage to women who are suffering from breast cancer or who are breast cancer survivors. At the same time, we’re continuing to invest in promising new avenues of research, like treatments that can be targeted to individual cancers. As we kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m asking you to help us build on this progress. Help us make sure women know about the new benefits in the health care law. And help us educate women about the steps they can take to protect themselves. Together, we can make breast cancer history.