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Nadler Introduces Mammogram Availability Act

The Federal government should ensure that no insurance plan is allowed to deny coverage of annual mammograms to women ages 40 and above, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said today as he introduced the The Mammogram Availability Act.


“This bill would ensure that the decision whether or not to have a mammogram would be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor on the basis of medical concerns - not by a bureaucrat on the basis of cost,” said Rep. Nadler.

The Mammogram Availability Act, which has 52 cosponsors, is based on the recommendations of an expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health in 2000, which unanimously called for insurance companies to cover annual mammograms for women over 40-years old. Under the legislation, any insurance company that offers diagnostic mammography must offer a screening mammogram for women over 40.

Since breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women between the ages of 40 and 50, early detection is vital.

Rep. Nadler successfully included similar provisions in the 1997 Balanced Budget Act for women covered under Medicare and Medicaid. He has served in Congress since 1992, and represents the 8th Congressional District of New York., which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

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