(SACRAMENTO, CA)  The Assembly passed a bill authored by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, that requires health plans and insurers to cover the cost of vaccinating young girls for cervical cancer.

AB 1429 now passes on to the State Senate for further review.

“We have an historic opportunity to improve women’s health,” says Evans.

Under current state law, health plans and insurers that include coverage for the treatment or surgery of cervical cancer must also provide coverage for an annual cervical cancer screening test.  AB 1429 would expand that coverage to include vaccination for the human papillomavirus (HPV).

“The need for this bill is simple,” adds Evans.  “Although many health plans and insurers are moving towards covering this vaccination, current law only requires coverage for girls 16 years or younger in group plans or insurance policies.  That leaves out many of California’s women.”

This year, in California, almost 1,600 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly 400 will die.  This makes California the state with the highest incidence of cervical cancer in the country.

“This bill is an opportunity to help women, especially Latino women who are most likely to get cervical cancer and African-American women who are most likely to die from it,” adds Evans.

HPV causes most cases of cervical cancer.  It also causes genital warts and other cancers affecting sexual organs.  Billions are spent in the U.S. each year on treatment of HPV-caused diseases.

Cervical cancer disproportionately impacts young women and treatment for the cancer can lead to an inability to have children in life.  Cervical cancer also has a higher rate of incidence among women of color who are less likely to receive the preventative care that they need.

Further information about AB 1429 is available online at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.