Proposal in Illinois would fund breast cancer screenings, treatment to patients without insurance

COOK COUNTY, Ill. - There’s a new proposal focused on saving the lives of Black men and women in Illinois.  

According to Omatola Gordon Rose, the Director of Health Equity Initiatives at the Susan G. Komen Foundation, research shows Black women die at a higher rate than white women from breast cancer.

She said that disparity is especially great in Cook County. 

A new proposal in the state legislature would funnel money from mammogram awareness license plates to the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.

Right now, the funds are exclusively directed to the Susan G. Koman Foundation.  

The IBCCP provides free cancer screenings and treatment to Illinois women who don’t have insurance.

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"Taxpayers don't have to be put on the hook to help women with breast cancer or men with breast cancer. It's actually allowing people to volunteer to buy a license plate to support the cause," said State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Illinois) who is sponsoring the legislation.  

He says 11,240 Illinois women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.