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

Assembly Bill (AB) 1429 passed the Assembly with bipartisan support in a concurrence vote on amendments to the bill taken in the Senate.  At the time of this release, the preliminary concurrence vote count was 50-19.  This followed the bill’s passage yesterday in the Senate with a vote of 26-13.  It now goes to the Governor for his signature or veto.

“We have a historic opportunity to save lives,” said Evans.  “We can vaccinate away the second most deadly form of cancer affecting women.  Requiring coverage will assure that more young women can get vaccinated and lives will be saved.  That’s the bottom line.”

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).

“Without this bill, the law only requires coverage for girls 16 years or younger in group plans or insurance policies,” added Evans.  “That leaves out millions of California’s women.”

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

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.  Administration of the HPV vaccine costs about $360.

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.  Latino women are most likely to get cervical cancer and African-American women are most likely to die from it.

AB 1429 has extensive support from the medical community and advocates for women.  Further information is available online at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.