Mammogram coverage set in Maine law
11/25/09 | 7 comments

Mammogram coverage set in Maine law


AUGUSTA, Maine — Recent advisories recommending a decrease in the use of mammograms and Pap smears for detecting cancer in women will not affect insurance coverage for the screenings in Maine.

“We want to assure Maine women that there are important consumer protections in place for cancer screenings related specifically to women’s health,” state Insurance Superintendent Mila Kofman said Monday. “Maine law is not contingent upon advisories from commissions or other groups.”

The U.S. Protective Services Task Force recently changed its recommendations regarding the age at which women should start getting mammograms and the frequency of screening thereafter. The new recommendations suggest routine mammograms should begin at age 50 rather than the previous recommendation of age 40. Other medical organizations say the age 40 recommendation should remain unchanged.

Within days of the publication of the task force recommendations, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines for Pap tests, recommending that women be screened less often and start being screened later in life.

State law requires that health maintenance organizations, individual policies and all group policies that cover radiologic procedures reimburse for mammograms at least once a year for women age 40 or older. HMOs and group policies also must cover Pap tests for cervical cancer, but nongroup policies are not required to cover the Pap test.

Employers with self-insured plans are not subject to state insurance laws.

Kofman said the decision to screen for breast and cervical cancers should be made between women and their doctors.

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Comments
7 comments on this item
On 11/24/09 at 8:45 PM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Well, we'll just wait to see how long it'll take the insurance companies to get the consumer protection laws changed. It's just a matter of time.

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On 11/24/09 at 10:42 PM, Gopher wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If the insurance companies try to end-run this one they're even more unintelligent than Anthem suing for a rate increase in the middle of this debate.

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On 11/25/09 at 7:11 AM, Christopher wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

One small step for womankind . . .

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On 11/25/09 at 7:51 AM, sonnysydupp wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

That's a couple of big 10-4's

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On 11/25/09 at 8:37 AM, changeneeded wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Kofman said the decision to screen for breast and cervical cancers should be made between women and their doctors. - Well, except in Maine, where it is between the Bureau of Insurance, the woman and her doctor.

They aren't changing the age parameters. I wonder what would happen if a report came out saying that women should get them at age 30? I bet ole Mila would be pretty quick making that change. But when the science goes the other way, they lave it as is.

Gee, I wonder why healthcare is so expensive in Maine? Hmmm...why...could...it...be

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On 11/25/09 at 11:37 AM, janenj wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It is not the insurance companies putting forth these recommendations......it is a GOVERNMENT task force. This is in Senator Reid's bill & if that piece of crap legislation passes, the task force will be telling insurance companies what they can cover and what they cannot cover. They will be telling your doctor what test he can order for you and what test cannot be ordered. Be very afraid of big government. They will be the death of us.

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On 11/25/09 at 6:40 PM, SteveH wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Having a panel of experts like this decide is called "evidence based medicine". And this is exactly how the government plans to control costs as they begin to take control of our health care system. Get used to it as it is one of the only ways that costs will become manageable.

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