Susan G. Komen® Applauds Senate Committee Passage, Urges Swift Floor Vote
TOPEKA, KANSAS – Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization commends Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt for recently introducing legislation to ensure equitable access to required diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging, by eliminating the financial barriers patients face in accessing needed breast cancer screening. We applaud the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance for passing this vital legislation and urge the Senate to swiftly call a floor vote.
The exorbitant out-of-pocket costs associated with this critical breast imaging, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, often force individuals to make significant financial sacrifices or forego tests that can confirm or rule out cancer.
“Nobody should be forced to skip medical care that helps to detect breast cancer early because of the cost, yet thousands of Kansans are forced to make that decision every year,” said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. “This bill will remove the financial barrier so that individuals can get the medically necessary breast imaging they need without having to endure financial burdens. This is a pivotal step toward reducing overall health care costs by enabling earlier detection, more timely treatment and better outcomes.”
Unfortunately, when a mammogram reveals an abnormality or an individual is at higher risk of breast cancer, diagnostic and supplemental imaging is required to complete their early detection process. SB409, introduced by Commissioner Schmidt and the Kansas Department of Insurance, eliminates the patient’s out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging such as breast MRIs and ultrasounds.
“As a breast cancer survivor, early detection saved my life, but in so many cases additional screening tools are needed to find suspicious areas,” said Commissioner Schmidt. “No matter the reason – be it abnormalities, dense breast tissue, or other concerns – Kansans should not have to pay higher out-of-pocket costs for these screenings.”
A Komen-commissioned study found out-of-pockets costs for patients to range from $234 for a diagnostic mammogram to more than $1,000 for a breast MRI. Another recent study published in Radiology found that 1 in 5 patients said they would not go in for recommended follow-up imaging if they had to pay a deductible. By eliminating burdensome financial barriers to comprehensive preventive care, we can drive earlier detection, improve outcomes, reduce the overall costs to the health care system and create a healthier more productive workforce.
