Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, the bill’s chief sponsor, told members of the House Committee on Health Care last week that women with an abnormal Pap smear can face between $750 and $1,200 in out-of-pocket costs for follow-up testing, even if they have insurance. “This co-payment is a prohibitive barrier to women getting the care they need, and it leads to deaths that should be preventable,” Patterson said. “No patient should have to choose between a significant expense or finding out whether or not they actually do have cervical cancer.”

Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, the bill’s chief sponsor, told members of the House Committee on Health Care last week that women with an abnormal Pap smear can face between $750 and $1,200 in out-of-pocket costs for follow-up testing, even if they have insurance. “This co-payment is a prohibitive barrier to women getting the care they need, and it leads to deaths that should be preventable,” Patterson said. “No patient should have to choose between a significant expense or finding out whether or not they actually do have cervical cancer.”