WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 25, 2009 – This morning, Jennifer Luray, president of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Advocacy Alliance, participated in a special White House ceremony honoring National Breast Cancer Awareness Month featuring remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden.
First Lady Michelle Obama with Lucy Spears (center), public policy chair of the Komen Lowcountry Affiliate and Jennifer Luray (right), president of the Koman Advocacy Alliance.
Joining Jennifer in representing Susan G. Komen for the Cure were:
- Sandra Swain, M.D. – Medical Director, Washington Cancer Institute at the Washington Hospital Center (grantee)
- Robin Bunch, MS, MPH, CHES – Breaking Down Barriers Coordinator, Washington Cancer Institute at the Washington Hospital Center (grantee)
- Elissa Thorner-Bantug – Member, Komen Young Women’s Advisory Council
- Lori Yates – Board Member, Maryland Affiliate
- Lucy Spears – Public Policy Chair, Lowcountry Affiliate
- Fedra Sanchez – Access and Outreach Program Coordinator, Nueva Vida (grantee)
- Robin Prothro, RN, MPH – Executive Director, Maryland Affiliate
- Maria Triantis, RN, MBA – Vice President and Director, Center for Health Improvement at the Montgomery Primary Care Coalition (grantee)
- Nancy Pallison – Executive Director, Arlington Free Clinic (grantee)
- Paula Potts – Director of Foundation Relations, Arlington Free Clinic (grantee)
- Capital Breast Care Center (grantee)
Below are excerpts of First Lady Michelle Obama’s remarks as delivered:
“I also want to take a moment to recognize all of the survivors and the advocates who are here today who have worked so hard and for so long to raise money and raise awareness to fight this disease, … it wasn't that long ago that people thought that breast cancer was something to be ashamed of and to keep it a secret; something that you didn't discuss in polite company. Some people even wondered, if you can believe it or not, whether breast cancer was contagious. And at the first fundraising lunch hosted by the Komen Foundation, the description of the event was written in one paper as a "women's cancer event," because the word "breast" was considered too risqué to print.
“But then, people like you, all of you here, started speaking out, including two of my predecessors, First Ladies Betty Ford and Nancy Reagan. They began speaking out. Survivors and those who love them started organizing and advocating and lobbying for more money, for more research, and better treatment for this disease.
“And today, because of that work, the number of women getting regular mammograms has dramatically increased, and the five-year survival rate when breast cancer is diagnosed in time is 98 percent -- and that's compared to 74 percent in the early 80s.
“And today, we spend $900 million on breast cancer research, which is 30 times more than what we spent in 1982. So we have come a long way.
“And you should all be proud of what you've achieved to get us this far. But what we all know is that we are not finished yet. We are not finished yet. We know we're not finished when nearly one in eight women is still diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime -- a total of one woman every three minutes -- and nearly 2,000 men are diagnosed each year as well, and that's something we don't often discuss. And we know we're not finished when 40,000 women a year still die from this disease. That's one woman every 13 minutes who's dying from this disease today.
“And we know we're not finished, especially not when we have a health care system in this country that simply is not working for too many people with breast cancer and too many people who are surviving with breast cancer. It's a system that only adds to the fear and stress that already comes with the disease.
“And I'm not just talking about women without insurance, who face the terrifying prospect, as you've heard, of having to pay the full cost of their treatment on their own.I am talking about people in this country who have insurance who have breast cancer -- folks who all too often find themselves also paying outrageous out-of-pocket costs.
“According to a new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services today, breast cancer patients with employer-sponsored insurance paid an average of more than $6,200 in out-of-pocket costs over the course of a year. And some wound up paying as much as $10,000 or $20,000, and 5 percent with private insurance paid more than $30,000 a year for their treatment.
“This is with insurance. These are people who are blessed.
“And then there are those annual lifetime caps that insurance companies set, where once you go over that cap -- as many women do because some forms of breast cancer are so expensive to treat -- then that cap makes it impossible to pay a penny more for that treatment.
“And one recent survey showed that 10 percent of all cancer patients report hitting a cap on their benefits, leaving them scrambling to find alternative insurance to figure out how to pay out of pocket for the rest of their lifetime.
“And then there's what happens when you've gone through all the treatment and you're finally in remission, which should be good news. You're finally in remission and you're finally feeling like yourself again. You feel whole and happy. But then, as you've heard, you're stuck, as Joni said, with a target on your back for the rest of your life with a "preexisting condition," which means that insurance companies can deny you coverage or charge you higher rates for coverage -- sometimes much higher.
“…if you've already fought cancer, you shouldn't have to also fight with insurance companies to get the coverage that you need at a price that you can afford.
“….in this country, getting sick shouldn't mean going bankrupt.
“I want to emphasize that in the end, as we all know, it's our responsibility as women to also talk to our doctors about what screenings that we need and then make the appointments to get those screenings, even when it's inconvenient or maybe a little bit uncomfortable. It's something that we owe not just to ourselves but to the people that love us. Because we know the difference that early detection makes. We know that if breast cancer is detected early, it's far easier to cure and much less costly to treat. So we can save money, we can save lives, and we do right by the people that we love.
“Now, let's remember that there was a time when those affected by breast cancer never could have imagined all these pink ribbons that would one day grace the White House, offices, storefronts, lapels. I don't think they could have imagined some hulking NFL player decked out in pink cleats and pink gloves. I don't think they could have imagined a day when so many people would wear jeans to raise money for a cure. I don't think they could have imagined how many people would lace up their shoes to take part in walks and runs and races all across America.
“I hope that our children and grandchildren won't be able to imagine a time when anyone in this country went bankrupt just because they had the misfortune of getting sick. And I hope that statistics like one in eight and one every 13 minutes will be incomprehensible to our kids -- incomprehensible -- because of all the strides that we've made and the work that we've done for this cure and for this reform.
“And that's why we're so grateful to all of you for the hard work and commitment and sacrifices that you've made. And we look forward to working with all of you in the weeks and months ahead. Thank you so much. Thank you.”
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