Fact Sheet IV
Expanding Access to Quality Health Care
"Our families will never be secure, our businesses will never be strong, and our government will never again be fully solvent until we tackle the health care crisis." President Clinton February 17, 1995Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Every 12 minutes another woman dies from the disease.Leading the Fight for Health Care Security for All Americans
President Clinton believes that every American should have access to quality health care and is committed to achieving this important goal.Strengthening Medicare and Medicaid
President Clinton believes that health care for women, children and older citizens must not be diminished. He is fighting massive congressional cuts of Medicare and Medicaid, which serve approximately 20 million women. For older women, Medicaid is the largest insurer of long-term care, covering more than two-thirds of nursing home residents, the vast majority of them women. President Clinton is also a strong supporter of Medicaid nursing home quality standards, helping to assure nursing home residents a safe and healthy environment.Redressing Inadequacies in Clinical Research
Historically, clinical research has concentrated primarily on men. Under President Clinton, this inequity has been corrected. The largest clinical study ever conducted -- a study of diseases affecting older women -- is now underway. The President signed legislation requiring that women and minorities be included in all clinical research supported by the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration has issued guidelines to encourage the participation of women in all phases of clinical drug development.Focusing on Breast Cancer Research
The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer has risen from 1 in 20 to 1 in 8 in just 20 years. Funding for breast cancer research and programs has increased from approximately $90 million in 1990 to $600 million today. The funds span Health and Human Services and other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency. A project has begun to explore how our national investment in defense, space and other imaging-related fields may provide new technological approaches to improve the early detection of breast cancer. In 1993, the Clinton Administration convened a conference to formulate a comprehensive and coherent action plan to improve detection and treatment of breast cancer. By implementing the Mammography Quality Standards Act, the Administration has put into place comprehensive standards that ensure the quality of mammograms and the more than 10,000 mammography facilities in the U.S.Offering Free or Low-Cost Mammography Screening to Those in Need
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program offers free or low-cost mammography screening to uninsured, low-income, elderly, minority and Native American women in 35 individual states and nine tribal organizations. More than 700,000 have been screened through May, 1995.Researching Environmental Factors and Breast Cancer
The National Cancer Institute has funded several grants to investigate the effect of environmental and other risks contributing to the high incidence of breast cancer. The Public Health Service's Office on Women's Health has established a federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Environment and Women's Health that is focusing on how home, work and atmospheric pollutants, exogenous hormones and other environmental factors may contribute to the risk of breast cancer and other disorders.Substantially Increasing Our Commitment to AIDS Funding
AIDS cases are increasing at a faster rate among women than men, and the Clinton Administration has increased resources to reach women affected by HIV/AIDS. The National Institutes of Health has created a Women's Interagency HIV Study to identify the nature and rate of HIV disease progression in women, is requiring that women and members of minority groups be included in all National Institutes of Health-supported biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects and has initiated a major research effort to develop female-controlled barrier methods, including vaginal compounds, to prevent HIV transmission.Caring for Women Veterans
A series of Veterans Administration health-care initiatives has been implemented under President Clinton. The Veterans Administration has established four comprehensive health centers, four stress-disorder treatment teams, and hired many counselors to treat the after-effects of sexual harassment and assault.Established Key New Positions and Offices for Women's Health
In addition to establishing the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services, the President has signed legislation to mandate the establishment of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health, the Office for Women Services at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and administratively established other offices of women's health throughout Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration.Researching Health of Older Women
Under President Clinton, the National Institutes of Health is implementing the Women's Health Initiative, a 15-year prevention study of the health of postmenopausal women. With three study components that will involve 160,000 women, the Women's Health Initiative is the largest clinical study ever undertaken in the U.S. The initiative is examining the major causes of death, disability and impaired quality of life: heart, disease, cancer -- especially breast and colorectal cancer -- and osteoporosis. Within the next 10 years, the initiative will provide guidance on the role of diet, the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy, Vitamin D and calcium replacements, and changing unhealthy habits to prevent these diseases.Office of Women's Initiatives and Outreach. Phone: 202 456-7300; Fax: 202 456-7311
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