07/30/2026
From Stefan Stryker of Calidar
https://www.calidar.com/
Health Policy Research released yesterday pertaining to mammography and an important topic for patients with dense tissue.
In a cohort study of 12.6 million patients undergoing mammography, laws requiring reporting of dense breast status to patients increased patient’s odds of getting an ultrasound or breast MRI by 9%, while patients in states with laws requiring insurance coverage with no cost-sharing increased patient’s odds of getting a supplemental ultrasound by 88%.
Last, and of even greater effect, states with dense breast notification mandates that include providing information on supplemental screening options increased odds of patients receiving supplemental ultrasounds by 184%.
Take-away: Informing patients of their dense breast status had a smaller but significant effect on pursuing supplemental imaging (ultrasound, MRI) that notably lowers their risk of missing breast cancer. But of even greater importance, providing additional education in reports and making sure patients can even afford supplemental imaging had drastically larger effects. To see adoption of these technologies continue to grow and save lives, patient education and insurance coverage are essential.
There are 38 states with supplemental imaging insurance coverage laws – hold-out states and the federal government need to realize their lack of coverage has a sizable negative impact on catching breast cancer earlier and saving lives.
See Dense Breast-Info's state law insurance map to know your state's coverage, or lack thereof and get involved with pushing for change!
https://densebreast-info.org/legislative-information/state-law-insurance-map/
Calidar is pioneering 4D Mammography to radically enhance the precision of breast cancer diagnostics.
