National Cancer Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1101
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2003-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Breast cancer
Cancer
Case management
Cervical cancer
Chemotherapy
Chronically ill
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Clinical trials
Colon cancer
Community health services
Department of Health and Human Services
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Drug abuse
Drug abuse prevention
Drug approvals
Drug therapy
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Employee health benefits
Environmental Protection
Environmental health
Environmentally induced diseases
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to child health services
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Genetic counseling
Genetics
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Government paperwork
Health counseling
Health education
Health information systems
Health insurance
Health planning
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Indian medical care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical fees
Medical personnel
Medical records
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical tests
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Military medicine
Minorities
Nurses
Pain
Patients' rights
Peace Corps
Pharmaceutical research
Pharmacists
Physicians
Poor children
Preventive medicine
Prostate cancer
Public health personnel
Quality of care
Research centers
Research grants
Rural health
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientists
Smoking
Social Welfare
Strategic planning
Student loan funds
Terminal care
Women
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2003-05-21
text: National Cancer Act of 2003 - Provides a comprehensive Federal effort relating to treatments for and the prevention of cancer.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to fund prevention, detection, and treatment programs of the National Cancer Institute, including translational cancer research (research needed to transform scientific discoveries into approaches and products to treat and cure cancer). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a research grant program to fund projects that seek to develop cancer treatments that target cancer cells.
Addresses issues of cancer care, including: (1) clinical trial participation; (2) workforce needs; (3) cancer survivorship; (4) cancer care guidelines; (5) the supply of researchers; (6) a colorectal cancer screening demonstration program; and (7) an Institute of Medicine study on whether to provide medical coverage under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to certain cancer patients.
Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to submit to Congress a plan outlining steps to accelerate the process for reviewing and approving new cancer drugs and treatments.
Requires health insurance plans covered by the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide: (1) coverage for clinical trials; (2) coverage of cancer screening, including tobacco and nutrition counseling and genetic testing; and (3) patient access to benefit information.
Addresses issues of managing physicians and quality of care for cancer patients covered by such plans, including designating a lead managing physician.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants for: (1) model programs to provide services for cancer and chronic diseases to individuals of health disparity populations; and (2) patient navigators for managing such care of such individuals.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-05-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6864-6867)
action_date: 2003-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate