COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — A proposed bill in Idaho could make breast cancer screenings more accessible.
Right now, most insurance plans will only pay for yearly mammograms.
House Bill 134 would require insurance plans to cover supplemental breast cancer screenings, like ultrasounds or breast MRIs, in addition to the yearly mammogram, for patients who are considered high risk.
This means women with a history of breast cancer in their family or women with dense breast tissue would get extra screenings.
“An ultrasound is just a different way of looking at the breast tissue and tends to find certain kinds of breast cancer that are harder to find in the mammogram or even not visible on a mammogram,” said Devin Caywood, a radiologist at Kootenai Health.
Supporters of the bill say this will help women detect breast cancer early on and increase the chance of survival.
“If you catch breast cancer earlier, the survival is better. It’s the bottom line. On top of that, it’s also a smaller surgery. Treatment is often a little easier as well,” Caywood said.
According to the Cancer Data Registry of Idaho, the state ranks 50th in the country for breast cancer screenings. 1 in 3 Idahoans, ages 50-74, are not up-to-date on their breast cancer screenings.
Representative Brooke Green is advocating for the bill and was diagnosed with breast cancer in July.
“The screening that we are asking for identified a new breast cancer that my 3D mammogram failed to detect when I was diagnosed the first time,” she said.
Green said the bill could help save lives.
The bill has moved to the house floor for a second reading.
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