New legislation aims to improve access to preventative health care

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - During this pandemic, many people have been forced to delay annual health screenings. WIth clinics now back open to preventative care, new legislation aims to make those visits as accessible as possible.

The Preventative Care Awareness Act has a group of bipartisan legislators behind it, including Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The act supports providing greater access to screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies. It would also create a task force dedicated to making sure screenings like these never have to be delayed again, even in the event of a global health emergency or pandemic.

Studies show one in three women and one in two men will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Holly Zanchetti, a nurse practitioner with Marshfield Clinic, says that’s why it’s more important than ever to get people back into a routine of annual screenings.

“Everybody needs to have their screenings and that’s why we start well child checks as brand new babies and we see them routinely. After that it’s once a year depending on the case, and sometimes more frequently than that,” said Zanchetti. “Missing an early cancer or missing early diabetes or missing high blood pressure, those are all equally as dangerous and it’s important that we get our foot back in the door and start doing these screenings again because a lot of people have delayed these and we’re seeing things that have been missed.”

Do not hesitate to reach out to your medical provider to get back on track with annual screenings.

The Preventative Care Awareness Act was introduced in late October. Click here to learn more about the legislation and its sponsors.

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