LIVE: Better Testing Coverage for Breast Cancer Patients

BISMARCK — The American Cancer Society is asking North Dakota State lawmakers to pass legislation that would require insurance companies to cover diagnostic testing for people who need it when doctors find something they suspect is breast cancer on their mammograms.

The region’s ACS representatives, including health care providers, made their pitch to state lawmakers at a lobbying session in Bismarck this week.

As we reported back on the Morning Show in August in Emily Welker’s mammogram story, where we went into the test with her, mammograms are great for catching potential cancer masses early. And they are mostly covered by insurance.

However, the ACS says, doctors often order more supplemental diagnostic tests, like ultrasounds and MRIs, done to be certain about what the mammogram actually found.

Right now, some of those tests might not be covered.

That’s forced patients to come up with sometimes thousands of dollars out of pocket to pay for the tests, making them choose between their financial and their physical well-being.

Nurse and Nursing Professor Emeritus Kelly Buettner-Schmidt is also a volunteer with the ACS.

She joined the Morning Show for a live interview about what it’s like to navigate for patients to navigate the tough ground between when you first hear you may have breast cancer and getting to the next steps in testing and treatment, and why this change could lead to better outcomes for patients in the state.

To share your thoughts on the new potential coverage, check out the links below to find your state representatives in Bismarck:

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/68-2023/regular/members/members-by-district

https://www.hhs.nd.gov/health