Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) understands the power of early detection in the fight against cancer. She credits an early diagnosis for saving her life from ovarian cancer 35 years ago. Now, the honorary member of Women’s Health Research at Yale is fighting to give other women the same benefit, through greater access to screening tools for breast cancer.
On Tuesday, Rep. DeLauro, the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, introduced the Find It Early Act. If passed, it would require all insurance plans to cover mammograms, breast MRIs, and breast ultrasounds without additional cost to the patient.
While most plans cover mammograms, breast MRIs and ultrasounds, which are more costly, are often an out-of-pocket expense. That cost burden forces many women to skip the additional screening that might catch tumors missed in a traditional mammogram.
Access to additional screening is especially critical for the forty percent of women the CDC estimates have dense breasts. Dense breasts are not only a risk factor for breast cancer, but they can make a mammogram harder to read, potentially leading to a missed cancer diagnosis.
According to the American Cancer Society, the current survival rate for localized breast cancer that is detected early is 99 percent. But without the availability of affordable breast screening options, DeLauro stressed the outcomes could be worse.
DeLauro introduced the bill alongside her co-sponsor Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.) and with the support of journalist and outspoken cancer detection advocate Katie Couric.
“The Find It Early Act will help level the playing field for women,” Couric said, adding that “women’s health should truly be a bipartisan issue.”
Coverage for expanded breast screenings is an issue that is slowly gaining traction across the nation. Starting in January, a total of 14 states, including DeLauro’s home state of Connecticut, will require insurance companies to cover breast MRIs and ultrasounds. But there is still a lack of information surrounding the risk factors of dense breasts. In 2019, DeLauro fought for the inclusion of the Breast Density Mammography Act, which requires the FDA to develop a notification rule requiring providers to inform women if they have dense breasts and discuss the associated risk factors and additional screenings they should consider. The FDA has yet to roll out that rule, setting a timeline for early 2023.
In the meantime, grassroots efforts to inform women about cancer risk associated with dense breasts are underway. The non-profit Dense Breast-Info was established to bring together experts from around the world and offer women an educational resource they can use to make more informed decisions. The American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and National Cancer Institute also offer specialized dense breast resources and information.
DeLauro is now preparing for another legislative battle for women’s health, declaring, “you have my word, I’m going to fight like hell to get this bill passed.”
The Find It Early Act is being introduced in the House, which starting in January will be under Republican leadership. The bill’s GOP sponsor says this measure is about making sure no woman is left behind.
“It shouldn’t take a personal story or personal tragedy for everyone to get on board with this,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick.