Photo courtesy of Meredith Woods Carpenter
Meredith Woods Carpenter of Hoover, Alabama, was in Washington, D.C., June 10-12 to share her breast cancer story with members of Congress at the Susan G. Komen Advocacy Summit.
About every 48 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone dies from breast cancer.
Experts suggest that one-third of these deaths could be prevented by universal access to early detection and modern treatments. This is why I passionately advocate for laws that make high-quality health care more accessible and affordable so that one day, we can realize a world without breast cancer.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to share my breast cancer story with members of Congress at the Susan G. Komen Advocacy Summit. My message to them: the journey from screening to a breast cancer diagnosis and then treatment remains excessively difficult and costly.
Without intervention, too many people will have to forego the care they need and may lose their lives to this disease. We are fortunate to have top-of-the-line treatments available today that can cure early-stage breast cancer and allow people with incurable breast cancer to live longer, but they are only effective if patients can access them.
Exacerbating the problem, a person cannot get to a breast cancer diagnosis unless they can also access needed screening and diagnostic services, which can be limited due to high out-of-pocket costs. Legislation pending on Capitol Hill would make that needed care more accessible by removing the financial and administrative burdens people must currently endure.
But lawmakers must act now so that the legislation becomes law. We cannot afford to let these bills languish; lives hang in balance. When a routine screening mammogram reveals an abnormality, people incur out-of-pocket costs for additional imaging to determine if that abnormality is cancerous.
In my own situation, I had to pay out of pocket for diagnostic imaging just to know if the mass in my breast was cancerous. I also had to wait long hours on hold and have additional stress in order to authorize the testing. Because this imaging is vital, I had to reprioritize my spending so I could afford the care I needed.
Many women, however, cannot afford their out-of-pocket share. They either make tough financial choices or skip the tests, only to be diagnosed with later-stage breast cancer when outcomes are worse and treatment options can be limited.
Passing the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act (H.R.3851/S.2464) would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for follow-up diagnostic imaging when a mammogram reveals an abnormality and supplemental imaging for those referred to imaging beyond mammography because they are survivors or at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Removing this financial barrier would lead to the earlier detection of breast cancer, providing better outcomes for patients and less cost to the health care system overall.
Additionally, the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act (H.R. 3916/S.1840) would reauthorize a critical breast and cervical cancer screening program that provides low-income and uninsured or underinsured individuals access to needed breast health services. We must make these services available to all, when they need it and where they need it, and this bill does just that by reaching into under-resourced communities that are rarely or never screened for breast cancer.
Women diagnosed with breast cancer often require a treatment that is personalized to them, allowing for their best chance at killing their breast cancer tumors. Unfortunately, health insurers can require a patient take a different medication first and have that treatment fail before they can take the medication their doctor initially prescribed.
In my own situation, I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma), and my providers and I developed a treatment plan based off my specific medical situation. This is heartbreaking and saddening because patients cannot afford to lose ground to this disease.
Advancing the Safe Step Act (H.R.2630/S.652) will allow patients to start with the treatment their doctor initially prescribes. It truly can make a difference in patients’ lives by controlling their cancer and helping them maintain their quality of life.
Breast cancer knows no boundaries – affecting people of all ages, genders, socio-economic statuses and geographic locations. It is a relentless adversary, challenging patients physically, emotionally, and financially.
Sharing my story with lawmakers was an empowering experience. I hope it also emboldens them to support the passage of legislation the breast cancer community so desperately needs. I am blessed to be able to donate my time and share my story to help others.
Meredith Woods Carpenter
Hoover resident
