
If detected early, there is a 99% five year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society. “It makes so much sense to focus on prevention because not only can we save lives but we can also contain costs.” “When melanoma spreads, survival drops significantly, and the cost also increases exponentially,” she said. Sima Jain, president of the Florida Academy of Dermatology, said since melanoma is visible, invasive testing isn’t needed to catch it early. “Skin cancer is one of the easier cancers to cure if caught early,” Massullo said, “If caught late, particularly with melanoma, it can be expensive to treat, and deadly.”ĭr. He told the Sun Sentinel that removing barriers to screenings - such as co-pays and cost sharing - could save lives. It is the University of South Florida (USF) student's responsibility: 1. health insurance mandates for international students.
#Psi insurance usf skin#
He says he treats an increasing number of patients with skin cancers. The insurance companies listed offer individual policies that meet the minimum requirements, as stipulated in both the. Ralph Massullo, a dermatologist, proposed this bill so patients could receive screenings without having a co-pay. Nationally, the number of deaths is expected to increase by 4.4%, according to the American Cancer Society. “We need to make sure that we have measures in place.”īetween 20, roughly 630 Floridians died each year from melanoma, according to the Florida Cancer Data System. “I don't see why we could not see the importance of this in the bill and move it forward to take it to the finish line,” she said.

She plans to bring the bill back next year. Marie Woodson co-sponsored the bill to make screenings more accessible. Having passed in the House of Representatives, it was referred to a committee, where it failed.ĭemocratic Rep. With the number of melanoma deaths expected to rise in 2023, state lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill to make test screenings free.īut the bill, which would’ve required insurers to fully cover annual screenings, died in the Florida Senate.
