I read the Sept. 5 story about breast cancer screening with interest.
At my annual mammograms I have always been told that I have dense breast tissue, and there is always a concern in the back of my mind as to whether or not they would be able to catch early-stage breast cancer since dense breast tissue can make cancer difficult to see on a mammogram.
After I read the article, I was curious what my health insurance would cover. I called them to find out if my plan covers MRIs or ultrasounds for breast cancer screening. They confirmed that mammograms, MRIs and ultrasounds are all covered at 100%.
I figured that I must be one of the lucky ones, and that I can in fact get those other screenings since my insurance covers it. I already have a mammogram scheduled for next month through University Health, so I called to ask them to add ultrasound and/or MRI to my appointment. They said that “per Utah law” they cannot schedule those procedures unless a mammogram detects possible cancer.
If true, this is completely backwards. If my dense breast tissue makes it harder for a mammogram to effectively diagnose cancer, and the other tools are not available unless the mammogram finds something, this seems like setting women up for late-stage breast cancer, if cancer does occur at some point.
The whole reason for early screening is to catch cancer in the early phases and hopefully allow a better chance at survival. This is an absolutely horrible flaw in the system and it must be amended.
Denise Andrews, Park City
