From family members and coworkers to fellow church members and neighbors, almost every American knows somebody who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. This year alone, the American Cancer Society predicts that nearly 300,000 women – including 2,700 Iowans – will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and almost 44,000 will tragically pass away. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, my prayers remain with the families who have lost loved ones and those strong women who are battling breast cancer as we work to find a cure to this awful disease and save lives.

Having received my doctorate in healthcare administration with an emphasis on maternal health outcomes, I am passionate about finding real solutions to the care crisis impacting women in rural communities. For example, pregnant women often have to travel hundreds of miles to see an obstetrician; a time-consuming and costly trip that is absolutely necessary for the wellbeing of both the mother and the child. These challenges also extend to cancer treatment. Too many women lack the financial resources and the healthcare infrastructure in their local community to receive the ongoing care that they need.

That’s why, this Congress, I proudly cosponsored the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act, which will help lower barriers to care, reduce healthcare costs, and support women during a very difficult time in their lives. This legislation would waive the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance disbursement and the two-year waiting period to receive Medicare benefits for women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer – which spreads throughout the body and infects other organs – requires immediate treatment. Women diagnosed with this most aggressive form of breast cancer cannot afford the delays of mountains of paperwork and bureaucratic red tape. Fortunately, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act would alleviate this unnecessary headache and deliver the benefits and quality care that every woman diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer deserves.

In honor of the women who are bravely fighting breast cancer and those who have sadly succumbed to this illness, I encourage every woman in Iowa and around the country to schedule a mammogram and make a point to visit their doctor annually. Early detection can truly save lives.

Serving on the House Ways and Means Committee – which oversees federal healthcare policy – I pledge to continue my work to lower healthcare costs for our families, expand access to care in rural communities, and support the hundreds of thousands of American women who are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. One life lost is one too many, and I remain committed to advocating for policies that accelerate our mission towards finding a cure.

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Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, represents Iowa’s Fourth District in the U.S. House.