Update: After being assured by my insurer my out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic #mammogram would be no more than $50, I was actually billed $176+ OOP [facility charged $1k+]. Today, insurer essentially told me I shouldn't have trusted their online estimator & what they told me. https://twitter.com/DonnaYoungDC/status/1134091369616740353

Nearly 3 months after I had the diagnostic mammogram, the insurer still shows the same estimates they had 3 months ago. I demanded my insurance call me in 3 months to see if they have updated their online estimator. I'm holding them to it.

Meanwhile, I've now lectured my doctor & insurer about doing something to stop imaging facilities that refuse to give patients their annual preventive #mammograms covered by the #ACA if patient says had pain of any kind [it was muscle pain] & switching to high-priced mammos.

Ultimately women may stop reporting pain of any kind when they go for their annual #mammograms covered by #ACA if they know they will now be billed big out of pocket costs & may even stop going to get annual mammograms. This switching from preventive to Dx needs to be solved.

One more thing I should add: If the Texas court's ruling is upheld that the #ACA / #Obamacare is unconstitutional, the requirement for health plans to cover 100% of those annual preventive #mammograms WILL BE GONE. And #women could once again be paying $$$ for those screenings.

"In 2019 there will be an estimated 268,600 new cases of female breast cancer and 41,760 deaths attributable to breast cancer." https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/coverage-of-breast-cancer-screening-and-prevention-services/
#breastcancer #mammograms #womenshealth