Even before I was elected, I knew that I wanted to make women's health issues a priority. Shortly before I ran for this seat my wife's mother, Alice, died after a long battle with breast cancer. It was an extremely difficult time for the whole family and it gave me a new appreciation for the importance of doing everything we can to ensure that every Pennsylvania woman has access to the health care they need.

The bill would have provided, for the first time, state funding to allow any woman of any age to get a free mammogram or cervical cancer screening if they were uninsured and couldn’t afford it. My bill went through some changes as is typical in the legislative process. I didn’t get everything I wanted. But ultimately Governor Rendell did sign into law funding for women aged 40-49 to receive these critical diagnostic screenings.

This new law will not only save lives (reason enough to pleased with its enactment) but will also save literally billions of dollars. Currently, there are 105,000 uninsured women between the ages of 40 and 64 in Pennsylvania. A mammogram costs about $100, treating metastatic breast cancer costs $40-50,000 on average. Therefore, it is not only immoral, but also penny-wise and pound foolish not to provide access to this critical early detection technology.

The second major piece of women's health legislation I authored was the "Contraceptive Equity Act". As it stands now, most health insurance policies that provide prescription drug coverage of any kind provide coverage for men's reproductive health services including male contraception, but do not cover female prescription contraception. This is unfair and results in more unplanned pregnancies. My legislation will bring Pennsylvania in line with 20 other states in mandating the coverage of prescription female contraceptive products if the health care plan provides prescription services. This will end a discriminatory and pernicious relic of days gone by.

I was also the original author and prime-sponsor of the CARE act. This bill would require that when women go to a hospital as the result of being the victims of sexual assault, the hospital would be required to let these women know of the availability of emergency contraceptives, and, if the women so choose, they would be provided with these contraceptives. This is perhaps the most important victim’s rights legislation currently pending before the legislature. This medication, which cannot cause an abortion, but only prevent a pregnancy prior to conception. This will prevent women from being re-victimized and will reduce the demand for abortions. I will continue to do all I can to move this legislation forward this year.

In the Prescription Drug section of this website, I discussed the expansion of access to prescription drugs for older women. That remains an important component of my women's health agenda.

Finally, I have introduced, each year I have been in office, a House Resolution honoring working-women. I am the son and husband of working women. I know how hard it is for them to balance the demands of family and career. My resolution, which recognizes the contributions they make in our community, has passed the House every time it has been introduced.