A Brown University and Harvard Medical School study discovered that a lot of women between 65 and 69 years old with Medicare coverage will not get screened for breast cancer if a co payment is required. The New England Journal of Medicine stated these findings.
women who have co payments required for mammograms are at an 8 percent lower rate of screening than those with full coverage, reports Medical News Today. Amal Trivedi, M.D. says, "The message is simple and it's startling - a small co payment for a mammogram can lead to a sharp decrease in breast cancer screening rates." Trivedi is the main author of the study.
The study suggested even a $12 charge is a large enough barrier for women to skip mammograms. "Eliminating co payments for mammograms in the Medicare program has the potential to save lives, because screening detects breast cancers at an earlier, more curable stage," said Harvard professor and study co-author, John Ayanian, M.D.
But it's important to make sure you go in for regular mammograms, recommends the National Institute of Cancer. Women over the age of 40 should go in for a mammogram once every 1 to 2 years. Younger women should also regularly do breast self-exams to check for lumps.
Breast cancer claims the lives for around 40,000 women in America, according the Mayo Clinic. And with the right preventive care and screening, women can make sure they catch it early. So, really, it is worth it to spend a few dollars to get screened. - 15224
women who have co payments required for mammograms are at an 8 percent lower rate of screening than those with full coverage, reports Medical News Today. Amal Trivedi, M.D. says, "The message is simple and it's startling - a small co payment for a mammogram can lead to a sharp decrease in breast cancer screening rates." Trivedi is the main author of the study.
The study suggested even a $12 charge is a large enough barrier for women to skip mammograms. "Eliminating co payments for mammograms in the Medicare program has the potential to save lives, because screening detects breast cancers at an earlier, more curable stage," said Harvard professor and study co-author, John Ayanian, M.D.
But it's important to make sure you go in for regular mammograms, recommends the National Institute of Cancer. Women over the age of 40 should go in for a mammogram once every 1 to 2 years. Younger women should also regularly do breast self-exams to check for lumps.
Breast cancer claims the lives for around 40,000 women in America, according the Mayo Clinic. And with the right preventive care and screening, women can make sure they catch it early. So, really, it is worth it to spend a few dollars to get screened. - 15224
About the Author:
When searching for the right health insurance visit gohealthinsurance.com. We can assist youwith individual or family health insurance questions.
