Vermont Law Will Cap Out-Of-Pocket Costs For Mammograms
Tuesday May 27, 2008Vermont Law Will Cap Out-Of-Pocket Costs For Mammograms in Politics and Legislation
Last week, Vermont
Governor James Douglas signed a bill restricting the amount health insurance companies
can charge for mammograms.
Under the new law, insured women in Vermont can pay no more than $25 for the breast cancer screening.
The measure was pushed by state lobbyist, Cassandra LaRae-Perez, who tested positive for breast cancer after she paid the full fee for her mammogram, reported The Barre Montpelier Times Argus.
Her health insurance plan didn’t provide coverage for her first mammogram.
“I realized that the mammogram had saved my life,” said LaRae-Perez.
While the law caps the cost of mammograms for women with insurance coverage, it doesn’t apply to residents without a plan. Women with health plans that have high deductibles or high copayments for mammograms will benefit the most.
The average price of a mammogram is around $150. Depending on where you get screened, that price can go up to $300, wrote the Times Argus article.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently found that fewer women get the necessary screening as cost goes up.
“Studies suggest cost is a factor in whether women seek and receive mammography services. This law is to encourage every woman to get regular mammogram,” said Governor Douglas.
