Amy Klobuchar Introduces Legislation to Encourage Preventive Care

Amy Klobuchar announced last month she had beaten stage 1A breast cancer. The Minnesota senator was diagnosed in February, when her doctors at the Mayo Clinic performed a mammogram and found cancerous breast calcifications. She underwent a lumpectomy and radiation treatment—and was cancer-free by September.

Klobuchar has been quite busy in the last few years—she ran for president and her husband fell ill with COVID-19, not to mention her usual congressional duties. With her packed schedule, she had missed at least one yearly mammogram and potentially the ability for doctors to have caught her cancer earlier.

Now, she's introducing legislation to encourage others who have put off breast cancer screenings and other preventive care—whether due to the pandemic or other barriers—to stop delaying and schedule their appointments.

"There was a realization that I wasn't alone in delaying my own treatment, that there are so many women that have done the same thing, and men, with other types of preventative screenings," Klobuchar told The 19th in an interview.

The senator's proposed bill is close to her heart. She knows the ramifications of delayed mammograms and wants to encourage others to take action.

Klobuchar added that women were 20 percent less likely to have gotten screened for breast cancer in 2020 than in 2019.

Klobuchar's bipartisan legislation would include breast cancer screenings and more by creating task forces to address preventive care during public health crises, awarding grant money to states and organizations to help alleviate healthcare disparities, and launching a public education campaign.

The senator's proposed bill is close to her heart. She knows the ramifications of delayed mammograms and wants to encourage others to take action.

Klobuchar wrote in a Medium post, "More than one in three adults reported delaying or forgoing health care because of coronavirus-related concerns. Studies have found that thousands of people who missed their mammogram due to the pandemic may be living with undetected breast cancer. Over and over, doctors are seeing patients who are being treated for more serious conditions that could have been caught earlier."

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but every day is a chance to take your preventive health care into your own hands. Read more about the risks and dangers of breast cancer and the importance of regular screenings here.