Lawmakers Renew Bipartisan Effort to Raise Awareness of Men’s Health Issues

WASHINGTON — Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr., D-La., and colleagues from both sides of the aisle, gathered outside the Capitol on Thursday to announce their renewed effort to raise awareness of men’s health issues and to promote legislation aimed at improving the health and well-being of men and boys as well as their families.

Carter, chairman of the congressional Men’s Health Caucus, appeared on the so-called House triangle, alongside Reps. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and Rob Menendez, D-N.J., Bradley Stillman, executive director of the American College of Gastroenterology, and Ronald Henry, founder and president of the Men’s Health Network.

The other members of the Men’s Health Caucus are Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Neal Dunn, R-Fla.

Though their press briefing was held ostensibly to announce the relaunching of the caucus in the 119th Congress, Carter was quick to remind everyone that the work they’re looking to advance is the continuation of a three-year bipartisan effort.

“This caucus will utilize the talents of the gentlemen gathered behind me and will also work with our health care officials and other experts to identify meaningful policy and advance meaningful education on how to better care for ourselves,” Carter said.

“One thing we all know is that enabling people to care for themselves and take proactive, precautionary steps to manage their health is a heck of a lot cheaper than the curative measures that cost us so much,” he said.

“The other thing I think we all agree on is that men and boys, historically, are not as eager to be or as good at being proactive about their health care as they should be,” he added.

 “As we embark on a new session, I’m reminded of the late Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-N.J., who was the chairman of this caucus and a dedicated advocate for men’s health issues,” Carter added, recalling the six-term congressman who died from a heart attack in 2024.

“In his memory, we remain committed to ensuring that men have access to vital health information and comprehensive quality care,” Carter said.

Among the caucus’s priorities this Congress is championing the passage of the Men’s Health Workforce Act, which aims to address racial disparities in mental health care, and the PSA Screening for HIM Act, which would amend the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers to provide coverage for prostate cancer screenings without imposing a cost-share requirement.

“A great majority of the things that ail us are preventable,” said McCormick, who in his non-governmental life is a physiologist and ER doctor.

“Obesity … diabetes … hypertension … all of these things are preventable … and in many cases, it’s just a matter of taking the time out to make an annual appointment,” he said.

“This caucus is about making sure we do what’s right … and making sure the appropriate screening tools are available to everyone who needs them,” he continued. “But that only goes so far, we also have to encourage men to get screened regularly for prostate cancer, and to get an annual colonoscopy … beginning at age 45 if you’re an African-American male, and at 50 for everybody else. It’s not comfortable, but it’s necessary.”

McCormick also spoke of the late Payne, who, he said, used his own health challenges to try to create awareness around men’s health issues.

“We know that we can have healthier outcomes for Americans. We know that preventative measures will lead to healthier lives, and we know that we have policies at hand that can lead to healthier outcomes for all Americans,” he said.

Both Stillman and Henry threw their whole-hearted support behind the caucus’s efforts, and encouraged the public to embrace its message that physical and mental health issues are preventable and should not be stigmatized or in any way embarrassing.

“Early intervention has saved an untold number of lives, but you need to pay attention to the early warning signs of things like colon cancer,” Stillman said. “If you think you’re experiencing them, get in touch with a health professional. Talk to your doctor. And don’t let embarrassment get in the way of appropriate treatment.”

Henry spoke of the fact that in the U.S., women generally have a higher life expectancy than men, but also noted that the margin ebbs and flows over time.

Currently, women have a projected life expectancy that is approximately 5.8 years longer than their male counterparts — a year longer than it was just ten years ago.

“That’s a sign that we need to be paying more attention to men’s health,” he said. “Because improving men’s health, improving their longevity is not just important to men themselves, it’s important to everybody. It impacts the communities they live in, the employers they work for, and even the government, which has to provide things like survivor’s benefits.”

“You know, we all drive our fancy cars, and when the check engine light comes on, we pull over and have it checked,” Carter said. “The thing is, when it comes to ourselves, as people, as men, oftentimes we look at the check engine light — a symptom — and we just keep driving.

“This caucus is about reminding you to check your check-engine light. Change your oil. Check your breaks … to ensure you live a long, healthy and productive life,” he said.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue