BALTIMORE — Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among men.
It is treatable if caught early.
A couple is working to pass a bill to eliminate the financial barriers to prostate cancer screenings.
Katrina Shaw and Johnny Shaw both know what it's like to be diagnosed with cancer.
Katrina is a 10-year breast cancer survivor.
Johnny is an 11-year prostate cancer survivor.
They decided it was important to advocate for a bill known as the PSA Screening for HIM Act.
The bill would provide free screenings for anybody that is at high risk of catching prostate cancer.
Katrina is active with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
She and other advocates recently went before Congress to advocate for the passage of the bill.
Johnny says the out of pocket costs for prostate cancer screenings can be a deterrent for some men to get screenings.
Johnny says when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer he had a job with good insurance.
So, his screenings were covered.
However, he knows men who didn't have access to great health coverage.
"If you do not have good insurance, then you are left holding a lot of monetary bills on you. And you might not get good treatment from the medical group you go to, because some doctors won't allow you to come in there for full service if you don't have insurance," said Johnny Shaw.
"If that gets passed, it's going to help with high risk men, which is mostly black, African Americans to get free screenings, to get free screenings, if that gets approved," said Katrina Shaw.
Both Johnny and Katrina say this is especially important for Black men.
According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Black men are 70 percent more likely to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it.
The bill has bi-partisan support.
It was introduced by senators Cory Booker and John Boozman.