Bills across several states would bolster coverage for breast imaging services, cancer care advocates announced recently.
The Susan G. Komen organization has lobbied for the proposals and recently touted them in a series of separate announcements. States impacted would include Oregon, Montana, Kentucky, Kansas, Tennessee, Arizona, California, Florida and Maryland, the Dallas-based group has highlighted throughout the month of February.
In Wisconsin alone, nearly 5,500 individuals will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year while 720 will die, Susan G. Komen said in a Feb. 23 announcement.
“This legislation can make an immediate impact for thousands of people who require diagnostic or supplemental breast imaging yet are unable to afford it and often forego the tests,” Molly Guthrie, VP of policy and advocacy at Susan G. Komen, said in a statement announcing the Badger State proposal, with the same quote used in several others. “Everyone should be able to access the care they need and afford it, especially when it could mean the difference between a person’s life and death.”
Guthrie and colleagues said these bills will help to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary breast imaging. One recent study commissioned by the group found that patients pay anywhere from $234 for a diagnostic mammogram to over $1,000 for a breast MRI.
“As a breast cancer survivor, I know firsthand how important early diagnosis is to effective treatment. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the prognosis and the lower the treatment costs,” Oregon Sen. Kate Lieber, who introduced legislation in her state, said in a separate statement released on Feb. 22. “This bill will save lives by ensuring treatment can begin as early as possible.”
Susan G. Komen estimated that 16% of those who undergo annual mammograms must get called back for additional imaging, which insurance may not cover. The organization believes more vigilance is needed on this front to address backlogs of missed exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Receiving news of an abnormal screening is stressful enough without having to worry about how to pay for follow-up tests.” Kentucky state Rep. Lisa Willner said in another statement released on Feb. 22.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.