We, the undersigned, in collaboration with the Promise Fund of Florida, petition our Palm Beach County Commissioners to allocate and approve Florida tax dollars apportioned to Palm Beach County to provide preventive breast and cervical screenings, diagnostics and treatment for uninsured women between 100% - 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. More than 80,000 women in Palm Beach County are uninsured and lack access to a medical home and basic women’s health services.

Survival rates are nearly 99% for individuals diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and nearly 95% for early-stage cervical cancer.  

African American and Hispanic women have an elevated risk of being uninsured when compared to White women. Women without insurance cannot afford co-pays, deductibles and fees for the necessary screenings and subsequent diagnostic and treatment costs essential to save their lives.  

Palm Beach County is the third largest county in Florida and health equity for residents to prevent or battle cancer must be prioritized with funding provided for those who have no means to pay for services. The local taxing district, the Health Care District, provides specialty health coverage to those only equal to or less than 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, which does not help the working poor who fall just outside this limit.  Florida’s Breast and Cervical Care Early Detection Program covers less than 10% of the need of income eligible women in the entire state.   There is no public hospital in this county to provide full cancer care, and pro bono care is insufficient to meet cancer care for those in need.

We endorse the Promise Fund of Florida’s mission to increase health equity for women in need of cancer care in Palm Beach County.