Capps Reintroduces HEART for Women Act
This legislation passed the House of Representatives in the 110th and 111th Congresses with near-unanimous support. Expansion of the CDC’s WISEWOMAN Screening program, the primary component of the HEART for Women Act, was also included in the original House of Representatives-passed health care reform legislation.
The HEART for Women Act would expand eligibility for funding to all 50 states for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WISEWOMAN screening program for low-income and uninsured women. Currently the program is available in only 20 states. The bill would also educate both women and health care providers about the prevention and diagnosis of heart disease in women and the most effective treatments available. Finally, it would tighten Food and Drug Administration requirements for reporting sex and race-based data about new medicines and devices, ensuring that future treatments are suitable for all patients in need.
“While we have made great progress in the fight against heart disease it remains the number one killer of American women, needlessly claiming the lives of far too many of our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters. Unfortunately not enough people — including health professionals — recognize that heart disease poses such a serious and unique threat to women. Far too many women pay a terrible price for that lack of knowledge. My legislation addresses this critical health issue by ensuring more women have access to screening for heart disease, filling the critical knowledge gaps by ensuring that health care professionals are informed about the risks of cardiovascular disease in women, and supporting increased data collection to identify new treatments for women,” said Capps.
