SC Connecticut News

On May 8, U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) along with award-winning journalist Katie Couric reintroduced their legislation, the Find It Early Act. This bill would ensure all health insurance plans cover screening and diagnostic breast imaging, including mammograms, ultrasounds and breast ultrasounds, and MRIs with no cost-sharing.

“I am proud to join Katie Couric, Congressman Fitzpatrick, and breast cancer advocates to introduce legislation that will detect breast cancer early and save women’s lives,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “Early detection is key – 99 percent of women who receive an early breast cancer diagnosis survive it. That is why I am reintroducing the Find It Early Act, which would mandate all insurance programs cover additional screenings to detect breast cancer at no-cost to the patient.”

“Cancer screening rates hit a critical low in 2022 with some states having screening rates as low as one percent,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. “Increasing access to cancer screenings is one of the most effective tools to improve outcomes for women diagnosed with breast cancer and I am proud to co-lead the Find It Early Act to increase access to these lifesaving tests.”

“On June 21, 2022, -- I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I feel incredibly fortunate that I was diagnosed early, but so many women find out too late. 45 percent of women ages 40 and over have dense breasts, and mammograms alone can miss tumors or suspicious tissue in dense breasts. We must strengthen access and coverage for additional testing, specifically for women like me with dense breasts,” said Katie Couric. “Breast cancer is treatable, and 99 percent of women who are diagnosed early survive. That is why everyone needs to get screened. The Find It Early Act is a critical step toward improving access to these life-saving screenings. I am incredibly thankful to Congresswoman DeLauro and Congressman Fitzpatrick for joining with me in this effort to save millions of lives.”

“At DenseBreast-info we hear from women all the time who find out they have dense breasts and that they would benefit from additional screening, but then discover they have to navigate getting approvals from their insurance providers - and begin a frustrating cycle of phone calls, denials, appeals and more phone calls,” said JoAnn Pushkin, Executive Director of DenseBreast-info, Inc. “The Find it Early Act will help ensure that when a woman is told that her mammogram might not be enough – she will not have to struggle to pay for additional imaging, or choose between household bills and a recommended test, or spread the cost of an MRI over one year, and skip the next year because the cost of the exam has strained her budget.”

 “Study after study has shown that early detection of breast cancer saves lives,” said Dr. Rachel Brem, Chief Medical Officer, Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer; Vice Chair of Radiology and Director Breast Imaging Center, GW Hospital. “Still, a variety of barriers exist for women, preventing them from accessing essential screening and detecting cancers early. No woman should have to choose between paying her bills and getting the tests she needs for her breast health. The bipartisan Find It Early Act will require private and government insurers to cover the exorbitant out of pocket costs often faced by high-risk women who require screenings such as ultrasound and MRI to diagnose their cancer - removing this ‘hidden cost’ of breast cancer diagnosis."

“For far too long, we have made people pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to access the vital breast imaging they require. This has often resulted in delayed diagnosis, whether they need the imaging due to a high risk of breast cancer, a previous breast cancer diagnosis or as follow-up to a suspicious finding on a screening mammogram,” said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. “The Find It Early Act means more breast cancers can be caught earlier because people will no longer be forced to pay out of pocket for this testing. We applaud Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Brian Fitzpatrick for their work to make access to necessary breast imaging more affordable and accessible.”

Unfortunately, when follow-up and additional screenings are needed because of their breast density, family history, or for any other reason, depending on their health insurance, the majority of women are forced to pay out of pocket, which can cost more than $1,000. As a result, many who cannot afford this cost choose to delay or forego these additional tests, which and that decision to delay screening can lead to later stage diagnosis. The Find It Early Act would ensure all health insurance plans cover screening and diagnostic mammograms and breast ultrasounds and MRIs with no cost-sharing.

In March 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would roll out its breast density notification rule,which would require providers to notify women with dense breasts of their status and the potential need for further screening to detect any breast cancer. DeLauro and Fitzpatrick previously worked together on the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act, which directed FDA to issue this nationwide reporting standard to require all mammography reports to include an assessment of breast density. This policy change was included in the Fiscal Year 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

Issues: Health Care

Original source can be found here.