Latest news with #AccesstoBreastCancerDiagnosisAct
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hoda Kotb Slams Insurance Companies That Don't Cover Extra Breast Cancer Testing: 'It's Ridiculous'
For Hoda Kotb, breast cancer screening access is a personal cause. The former Today anchor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and clearly remembers the fear and confusion of those first few weeks of testing — which is why she joined over 200 other patients and advocates in Washington, DC last week to push for better access to breast cancer screening and diagnostic tests. Kotb was diagnosed at age 42 after multiple tests and doctors' appointments. The first? A visit to her gynecologist, who 'thought there was something, but didn't seem alarmed,' Kotb told FlowSpace last week. On her doctor's recommendation, Kotb went in for a mammogram, then an ultrasound. Eventually, the tests led to a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer and a mastectomy. More from Flow Space What If Some Breast Cancers Aren't Really Cancer? Looking back, what stands out was the depth of her feelings at the time. 'Whenever you're getting diagnosed and going through these tests, it's terrifying,' Kotb recalls. 'Someone, a doctor or a nurse, is about to tell you what your life is going to be.' That was why Kotb felt she had to be part of the event last week, encouraging members of Congress to support the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act, which would require private insurers to fully cover the cost of diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging. The event in Washington was part of an initiative called the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy, created by the Susan G. Komen Foundation with help from the pharmaceutical company Novartis. While many insurance companies cover the cost of a mammogram, patients may be forced to delay follow-up tests — or skip them altogether — due to unexpected out-of-pocket costs. Those delays can be catastrophic when they lead to later-stage diagnoses and worse treatment options and outcomes. 'It seems so incredibly ridiculous that women who need a diagnosis so they can figure out their treatment have to pay [thousands of dollars] to find out if they have cancer or not,' Kotb explains. These barriers often hit people that are high risk, including breast cancer survivors and those with a genetic predisposition, because 'the screening mammogram isn't what guidelines tell them to get,' Molly Guthrie, VP of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen, tells FlowSpace. 'They need to get an ultrasound or an MRI for their for their regular screening.' If their insurance doesn't cover those tests, these high-risk patients have to pay out-of-pocket 'just to get the process started,' Guthrie explains. 'We hear often at Komen from our survivors that they feel like they're being discriminated against because they were fortunate enough to survive this disease, and now have to come up with this out-of-pocket cost in order to get their annual imaging done to make sure that the cancer hasn't come back.' For Kotb, it was stories like that that inspired her to act. 'This kind of thing made me realize, I should use my voice here,' she shared. 'A lot of people need multiple screenings, and it seems to me that this is something that they should be able to get.' Both Guthrie and Kotb encouraged women to stay on top of their own breast health by speaking to their provider about their breast cancer risk and family and personal history. 'You might need these additional imaging exams done, so having the conversation with your provider about what type of imaging is best for you,' Guthrie explains. Novartis' Your Attention Please campaign website also provides additional resources around access to imaging and early detection. Beyond that, the advocates encouraged everyone to raise their voice for this cause. 'Call on our elected officials to do something about this issue and pass the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act,' Guthrie says. 'So that when you are educated and aware about your breast health history, and you know that you need this imaging done, that you're not then facing this financial barrier to the testing that might lead to an earlier diagnosis.' And as Kotb can attest, an earlier diagnosis leads to better outcomes, making it a life-changing — and life-saving — cause.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Senator Katie Britt is pushing to make breast cancer tests more accessible and affordable
ALABAMA (WDHN) – Enterprise native Senator Katie Britt has announced the 'Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act,' where she aims to eliminate out of pocket expenses for diagnostic breast cancer tests. Today, the law does require insurance companies to provide no co-pay coverage for breast cancer screenings, but that does not help everyone. The current law does not extend this factor to the diagnosis testing, which includes 3D mammograms, MRI's and ultrasounds. Recent reports say that around 10% of mammograms require a follow up diagnostic test. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifespans. Also, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, the breast cancer rate in Alabama is 121%, which is lower than the U.S. rate of 126%. Experts said they expect over 316,000 new cases of breast cancer will occur across the U.S. Britt introduced this legislation to the 118th Congress. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
