Health insurance plan must cover digital mammography for all ages

From October 1, health plans will be required to cover digital mammography examination for all people whenever there is a medical indication, that is, there will be no age restriction. Currently, the coverage of this examination is compulsory only for women aged between 40 and 69 years.

The decision was taken by the National Agency for Supplementary Health (ANS) on the last day 3 and announced on Thursday (10). The ANS is the body that regulates the health plan industry in the country.

Digital mammography – the most advanced version of the conventional examination – is considered one of the main tests for the early detection of breast cancer, allowing to identify changes before they are even perceived to touch.

Less exposure time

The digital modality offers advantages such as lower radiation exposure, shorter breast compression time during the examination and storage of images in digital format, which facilitates the monitoring of clinical evolution and evaluation by different specialists.

In the statement, the ANS highlights that mandatory coverage is “an opportunity to celebrate Outubro Rosa, a month dedicated to raising awareness about the prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer.”

The National Cancer Institute (Inca), linked to the Ministry of Health, estimates that the country has about 73,610 new cases of breast cancer per year.

Early diagnosis increases the chances of treatment and may reduce the need for more invasive procedures.

All genres

The intention of extending the coverage of the examination started from the NSA itself, after discussions carried out in the Commission for the Update of the Role of Procedures and Events in Supplementary Health (Cosaúde).

In Cosaude, the majority of the commission argued that “the use of digital mammography is already consolidated as a standard of cancer care” and that the restriction for women aged 40 to 69 could “damage or delay timely access” to the diagnosis of breast cancer.

When determining mandatory coverage for “all people”, the NSA includes any gender, i.e., the exam is now guaranteed to people who consider themselves non-binary (not identifying exclusively as male or female).

 

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