One less barrier in the fight against breast cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is held in October with the aim of promoting screening and prevention of the disease.

Also, effective Oct. 1, is a new law which eliminates barriers to breast cancer diagnosis and provides a pathway to early treatment, without increasing your premiums.

With 20 years as a physician’s assistant, I saw it play out time and time again – the cost of additional imaging studies prevented patients from getting the breast ultrasound or MRI they needed to diagnose breast cancer, their disease progressed, and then they were fighting for their life.

When I was elected, I had an opportunity to do something about the barriers preventing patients from accessing these very necessary tests.

Introducing House Bill 665 and simply passing a law to eliminate the barrier would have accomplished nothing if people’s premiums increased.

As a result, I worked with Montana’s State Auditor Troy Downing and major insurers. They assured me this was a change they could get behind with little, if any, increase to premiums.

Our state’s lead insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield supported the idea, and they showed up in full support all the way through. With true bipartisan support HB 665 was signed into law.

Regular breast self-exams, an annual exam by your provider, and yearly mammograms are important tools in breast cancer detection – especially early detection.

If you haven’t already done so this year, I encourage you to make your appointment.

Jodee Etchart, R-Billings, is the Representative for House District 48 in midtown Billings and a member of the House Judiciary and Human Services Committees.