CA State Law Continues To Require Insurance Coverage for Breast Cancer Screeings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 18, 2009






NEWS RELEASE



INSURANCE COMMISSIONER POIZNER CLARIFIES THAT STATE LAW

CONTINUES TO REQUIRE INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS



California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner today reminded Californians that a state law remains in place that dictates women still have the right under their insurance coverage to be given mammograms for breast cancer screenings beginning at age 35.



“Scientists can and should continue to research the best ways to treat our medical ailments,” Commissioner Poizner said. “However, regardless of what recent medical panels have said, state law continues to require insurance companies to cover mammograms for women as early as age 35.”



State insurance code currently dictates that women age 35 to 39 are entitled to a baseline mammogram. Women age 40 to 49 can get a mammogram every two years, or more frequently if their physician recommends it, and women 50 and older are to be provided a mammogram every year.



On Nov. 16, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force reversed existing breast cancer screening recommendations and touched off a furious debate among insurance providers, doctors and patients. The Task Force said women should only get mammograms once every two years starting at age 50 instead of every one or two years at age 40, as had been the norm for decades.



The relevant section of state law can be found at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=ins&group=10001-11000&file=10110-10127.18



10123.81. On or after January 1, 2000, every individual or group policy of disability insurance or self-insured employee welfare benefit plan that is issued, amended, or renewed, shall be deemed to provide coverage for at least the following, upon the referral of a nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or physician, providing care to the patient and operating within the scope of practice provided under existing law for breast cancer screening or diagnostic purposes:

(a) A baseline mammogram for women age 35 to 39, inclusive.

(b) A mammogram for women age 40 to 49, inclusive, every two years or more frequently based on the women's physician's recommendation.

(c) A mammogram every year for women age 50 and over.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an individual or group policy to cover the surgical procedure known as mastectomy or to prevent application of deductible or copayment provisions contained in the policy or plan, nor shall this section be construed to require that coverage under an individual or group policy be extended to any other procedures.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize an insured or plan member to receive the coverage required by this section if that coverage is furnished by a nonparticipating provider, unless the insured or plan member is referred to that provider by a participating physician, nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife providing care.

SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE® RECOMMENDS NO IMPEDIMENTS TO BREAST CANCER SCREENING

Until Science Improves, Current Screening Recommendations Should Remain, World’s Leading Breast Cancer Organization Reports

DALLAS – Nov. 16, 2009 – Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world’s leading breast cancer advocacy organization, has carefully reviewed the data and new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concerning mammography screening. Komen for the Cure issued the following statement today from Eric P. Winer, M.D., chief scientific advisor and chair of Komen’s Scientific Advisory Board.

“Susan G. Komen for the Cure wants to eliminate any impediments to regular mammography screening for women age 40 and older. While there is no question that mammograms save lives for women over 50 and women 40–49, there is enough uncertainty about the age at which mammography should begin and the frequency of screening that we would not want to see a change in policy for screening mammography at this time. Komen’s current screening guidelines can be found at www.komen.org and would not be changed without serious consideration.

Our real focus, however, should be on the fact that one-third of the women who qualify for screening under today’s guidelines are not being screened due to lack of access, education or awareness. That issue needs focus and attention: if we can make progress with screening in vulnerable populations, we could make more progress in the fight against breast cancer.

Mammography is not perfect, but is still our best tool for early detection and successful treatment of this disease. New screening approaches and more individualized recommendations for breast cancer screening are urgently needed. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is currently funding research initiatives designed to improve screening, and we believe that it is imperative that this research move forward rapidly. Komen also provides funding for more than 1,900 education, awareness and screening programs.

We encourage women to be aware of their breast health, understand their risks, and continue to follow existing recommendations for routine screenings including mammography beginning at age 40.”

Why The Running Ribbon Is Exclusive to Komen

What does the Komen Running Ribbon signify? This ribbon exclusive to Komen pays homage to the inspiration behind our legacy, serves as a reminder that the lives of real women are at stake. Movement of the ribbon symbolizes the humanity in all that Komen does and the energy and forward momentum we employ as we work to end breast cancer forever.

Komen Celebration of Life Survivor Luncheon

Today's Annual Celebration of Life Survivor Luncheon was a great success! TorNino’s was transformed from a banquet hall into a sea of Komen pink. Dark pink and light pink adorned the table dressings with beautiful pink flower arrangements. I recognized the faces of many survivor sisters and was delighted to see many newcomers. Thanks to all volunteers whose efforts ensured a beautiful experience for all, and to our speakers; Dr. Amanda Reeve from Kaiser, Sheriff Margaret Mims, our own Jamie Ledezma and Nancy Shanafelt. Special thanks to Katie H. three time cancer survivor who was able to obtain a Proclamation by Mayor Ashley Swearengin.

Coping With Chemo Brain

I was diagnosed with breast cancer December 29, 1999. I underwent chemotherapy (CMF) in 2000 and began to experience the frustration of short-term memory loss. Family and friends assisted me with helpful hints to keep my life organized and frustration at a minimum. I wrote the following article for the Komen Central Valley Newsletter. Other Komen Affiliates have reprinted for their readers as coping with chemo brain is rarely discussed.

This is for my friend K.H. and all others who are battling cancer and undergoing chemo.

Memory and concentration problems often plague women and men who have undergone chemotherapy. The majority of research that provides statistics about short term memory loss in conjunction with chemotherapy is studies of women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer. The simple description for this memory loss is called chemo brain. By definition this phenomenon can be are explained as cognitive dysfunction.

As reported online by breastcancer.org in an excerpt from Cancer, June 2004, ” a number of studies on this topic have found that about 20–30% of women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer had some problems with cognitive function. But so far the studies have not explained exactly how chemotherapy might be affecting the brain.”

Other factors that can affect memory and concentration during and after chemotherapy are emotional stress, depression, early onset of menopause and sleep deprivation.

When I underwent chemotherapy almost 10 years ago, I had not read about chemo brain, nor did I have a clue that chemo could be a contributing factor to short term memory loss. It began around my third chemotherapy treatment. Prior to chemo, I never kept an appointment book, I always remembered appointments and birthdays and my brain was like a mini phone book. Imagine my surprise when I briefly forgot my own phone number! One day I said to a co-worker, “Please hand me that, a, a….that thing”, when I clearly meant a pencil, but couldn’t remember what it was called. The final straw was when I forgot my PIN number while attempting to use my ATM card. Cashless, I came home and began an internet search on memory loss. This is when I first learned the term chemo brain. Three days later, I remembered where I hid my PIN number. I also had forgotten where I put the key to my safe and file cabinet. I had fleeting moments in the following weeks where I forgot my online passwords. It was then I realized that I should write everything down and hand it over to a trustworthy person for safekeeping.

When I was undergoing chemotherapy, my family and friends assisted me in writing following rules to help keep my life organized and relatively frustration free. No matter how mundane these organizational tools seem now, I can assure you, they will prevent great frustration:

· If you must, write your PIN number in ink in the palm of your hand before going to the ATM.

· Choose a Daily Planner with notebook paper that you can keep in your purse. When a thought strikes you as important enough to remember later, write it down. If you have a “to-do” list, write it in this notebook. Document important dates, birthdays, anniversaries etc.

· When scheduling follow up Dr’s appointments, write the appointment in the calendar portion of the Daily Planner while scheduling with the receptionist. They may ask you if you’d like an appointment card—go green and decline the card. In my experience, I would lose the card and have to call for the correct date anyway.

· When opening mail, always sort through your mail in the same location daily. Always put your bills in one place and organize by payment due date. If you don’t have auto bill pay for your credit cards, house payment or insurance withdrawls, consider scheduling auto bill pay. If you choose not to do that, make a chart of dates that online bills should be paid.

· Immediately shred junk mail.

· If you elect not to convert to auto bill pay, bookmark all credit card, mortgage etc sites.

· Copy all these bill paying sites and include passwords to these sites by creating a simple Excel spreadsheet with this information. Make a copy of this document and give to someone you trust. Password protect this file. What if you forget the password? Give this password to the same person you trust.

· On the same Excel spreadsheet, list the place you are likely to hide important documents ie; social security cards, passport and PIN numbers. Same goes for where you may hide a safety deposit box key, extra house and car keys.

· If you do not have a computer and hand write your list, at least tell that trusted someone where you’ve hidden it.

· If that is the case, refrain from bill paying etc. late at night as that trusted someone may not appreciate a call at 11:00 PM.

· If you are still a check writer, immediately document the check. If you strictly use ATM for purchases, continue to use a check register to document.

· If you take medication, purchase a pill organizer (preferably the kind that organizes pills for the week and separates AM and PM dosage)

· If a friend or family member is unable to accompany you for Dr’s appointments, take notes.

· Maintain a sense of humor regards these bouts of short-term memory loss. Someday these stories will provide excellent party conversation.

· If you can’t remember anything else, remember that laughter is the best medicine! The short term memory loss will pass. Your experience and advice will someday help someone else.

Now, have I forgotten to mention anything?

Include Cancer!

Cancer will soon be the leading killer of women and men worldwide. Already, cancer kills more people annually than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDs combined. Last year, 7.6 million people died from cancer. By 2020 that number will double, and by 2030 cancer will account for over 17 million deaths – mostly in poor and developing countries. This is a global tragedy requiring a global response from governments and world leaders. Remarkably, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals make no mention of cancer. Excluding cancer from these goals has made it harder for governments to make cancer a national priority, even while cancer caseloads and deaths rise higher and higher.

Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, founding chair of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control, has called on the world’s governments to make cancer a global priority. For the United Nations to achieve its targets in the Millennium Development Goals, particularly those that promote maternal health and empower women, cancer cannot be neglected and must be included. Read Ambassador Brinker’s speech to the Global Health Ministers, challenging them to “include cancer” at the top of their health agendas.

Please help us to mobilize global action in the fight against cancer. Sign this petition today, and encourage your friends and relatives to sign it as well. Make your voice heard in our global fight!

Sign Today!

About I AM THE CURE.^®

I AM THE CURE.^® is a breast health program from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure that teaches people simple steps they need to know to take charge of their breast health. It speaks to the importance of early detection and provides simple, action-oriented chants that Race participants can take home and put into action. These chants, and the simple steps that lead to early detection, will come to life as more than a million Komen Race for the Cure participants make I AM THE CURE.^® their rallying cry on Race day.

Join The Race Against Breast Cancer and Hunger In Fresno County

In this challenging economy, we know the fight against breast cancer is great because 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. At 15% unemployment in Fresno County, many unemployed women have lost health insurance that covers life-saving breast cancer screening. This unemployment has a domino affect because 1 in 8 Americans go hungry daily.

Because Fresno County's needs are so severe this year, Komen Central Valley Race for the Cure is introducing a new challenge. We will reduce hunger in our county while Racing to end breast cancer.

As you join us for the Race, we invite participants to donate non-perishable food items to benefit the Poverello House where 1300 meals a day are served.

Donation bins will be available on Race Day, October 24 @ CSUF near Komen Race Registration tables. REGISTER FOR RACE

Komen Central Valley Names 2009 Honorary Team New Balance Survivor

Yearly, the Komen Central Valley Race Committee nominates a breast cancer survivor who has made an exemplary contribution in the fight against breast cancer to serve as Honorary Team New Balance Survivor. She will be honored at the 11th Annual Komen Central Valley Race for the Cure. You are about to read the bio of this year's nominee, Jamie Ledezma. She is an extraordinary young woman who has touched the hearts of many at the local and national level. Her story has been featured at Komen Advocacy Alliance, local TV and CNN.com.

On Valentine’s Day 2007, twenty-seven year old Jamie Ledezma was diagnosed with breast cancer. Together, she and her husband Rigo embarked on her breast cancer journey. Not only did she face battling breast cancer as a young woman and wife, she courageously underwent chemotherapy while 15 weeks pregnant. After six months of chemotherapy, Jamie delivered a healthy baby boy. She then underwent 4 additional rounds of chemo. Jamie had a significant family history of breast cancer and tested positive for BRCA-1. A month and a half after her baby was born, Jamie underwent a bilateral mastectomy. In order to share her journey with family and friends, Jamie authored the blog, Pregnant With Cancer Unbeknownst to her, her blog would touch the lives of women throughout the United States.
Jamie traveled with son Blake to Sacramento, California to deliver her testimony of breast cancer survival to California legislators. A very busy wife, mother, attorney and political science instructor, Jamie also serves as the Public Policy Chair on the Komen Central Valley Board of Directors. She seizes every opportunity to educate by sharing her experience and perspective on life as a young breast cancer survivor.
Jamie’s dedication and commitment to the cause serves as an inspiration to all.

Komen's Founder Nancy Brinker Named Recipient of Presidential Freedom Award

Release from Komen HQ

WASHINGTON, DC – July 30, 2009 – Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker, whose promise to her dying sister launched Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the worldwide breast cancer movement, was nominated for the highest civilian honor in the United States – the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced today.

Brinker, founder of the world’s leading breast cancer organization and a Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control of the World Health Organization, will receive the Medal from President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony Aug. 12.

She is being honored for her leadership in building Susan G. Komen for the Cure into a global force for change for people with breast cancer, leading the way in breast cancer research, advocacy, education and outreach. With her vision, Dallas-based Komen for the Cure has grown from a group of friends in a living room to an organization with more than 120 domestic and global Affiliates, more than 1.5 million advocates and a presence in more than 50 countries.

“To say that I am honored, humbled and exhilarated is a vast understatement,” Brinker said. “I will be pleased to accept this honor in my sister’s memory, and on behalf of the millions of women and men who have walked side-by-side with us over many years to end the suffering and misery from this disease.”

Alexine Clement Jackson, chair of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure board of directors, said, “Nancy Brinker embodies an American story – a story of the tremendous good that can be achieved when people put their minds to it. Today, millions of women and men owe their recoveries, their treatments, their positive prognosis, their social and psychological support to the work that Nancy has achieved in her sister’s memory. We are very proud of her – this is well-deserved.”

Nancy Brinker’s story began in Peoria , Ill. , with a promise to her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer forever. Susan Komen died of breast cancer in 1980, at the age of 36, after a three-year battle with the disease. Brinker was diagnosed with breast cancer just two years later.

“At that time, there was a stigma and shame around breast cancer. You didn’t talk about it. There were no 800-numbers, no Internet. Our government didn’t spend much on breast cancer research. There were few major cancer centers with expertise about breast cancer. That’s the world we faced when Suzy was diagnosed. It’s a world I watched her suffer in, and it’s a world she wanted us to change,” Brinker said. Determined to keep her promise, Brinker launched what was then called the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in 1982 from her living room in Dallas . The name was changed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2007.At first, Brinker encountered embarrassed resistance to her plans to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and education. “We found that potential sponsors didn’t want to be associated with cancer, especially a cancer of the breast. Papers didn’t want to print the words ‘breast cancer.’ It was very much an uphill battle,” Brinker said. Nevertheless, she persevered, and in 1983 the first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® was run around a Dallas shopping mall with about 800 people. Today, more than 1.5 million people run annually in Komen Race for the Cure events in more than 120 U.S. and 14 international cities. This October, Komen will hold its first Race for the Cure around the Giza Pyramids in Cairo .

Along the way, Brinker pioneered the concept of “cause-related marketing” and established the color pink as the iconic representation for breast cancer. Today, almost 300 global and national companies are Komen sponsors, providing funding to help fulfill the organization’s promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever. All told, Komen has raised and invested more than $1.3 billion into cutting-edge research and community outreach, education and support programs.

KSEE24 TV Features Komen Grantee; Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center

Stefani Booroojian, KSEE 24 news anchor pioneered the Buddy Check program bringing breast cancer awareness to California's Central Valley. On the 24th. of each month, Stefani reminds women to perform their monthly Breast Self-Exam while encouraging them to remind a buddy to do the same.

Accompanying this Buddy Check tonight, Stefani featured the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center, 2009/2010 Komen Central Valley grantee.

taken from KSEE 24:
Breast Cancer Awareness for Fresno's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
"Breast cancer does not discriminate, and all women are at risk. Fresno's Deal and Hard of Hearing Service Center is spreading breast cancer awareness among its clients. A number of events are planned to share the visual message that every woman counts."


See KSEE 24 feature

Read about KSEE 24's Buddy Check

Visit Komen Central Valley's Grantees

Komen for the Cure Names College Scholarship Recipients

DALLAS – July 21, 2009 – After losing their mothers to breast cancer, Lin Ling, Samantha Muilenburg, Asimina Trigonis and Heather Zurek have been selected to receive college scholarships geared to the children of people who have died of breast cancer, from Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists.

The Susan G. Komen College Scholarship Award Program was established to help students who would otherwise find attending college to be a significant financial burden, due to the loss of a parent to breast cancer. It offers undergraduate college scholarships of $10,000 a year for up to four years. Recipients of the Komen College Scholarship Award are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service and participation, financial need and demonstrated leadership potential. Recipients are expected to be ambassadors for Komen for the Cure and the breast cancer movement within their social networks and on their collegiate campus.

View Komen Scholarship Recipients

On a personal note, it was an extreme honor to have served on the Komen Scholarship Selection Committee. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, I was a single mom. My son was a high school senior preparing his own applications for college scholarships. It was my son who stopped his search in order to find information to educate both of us about breast cancer. He found the Komen National website. It was there I learned the ABCs of breast cancer. The result; I was very well prepared to ask the right questions of my breast surgeon, oncologist and radiation oncologist. When reading the applications of these scholars, I was reminded how breast cancer is not just an individual disease, it is a disease that affects the entire family. Early detection of my breast cancer saved my life, but these scholars lost their mothers. Each possessed the academic qualifications, but also shared their personal experience of their mother's battle with breast cancer. They described how they were positively influenced by the courage and strength of their mother's illness. They are incredible Ambassadors and Komen partners in the promise to end breast cancer forever.

Forbes says: Fresno 2nd worst city to recover from recession

Second worst city, 15.5% unemployment

Why is this Race so important? In the State where we can't agree on a budget, all business is affected. Women 40 and over who have lost their jobs, also eventually lose their insurance benefits. Those insurance benefits once provided means to obtaining life-saving breast cancer screening. Women 39 and under who have a high risk for developing breast cancer are not able to resume baseline mammography, or if they find a lump, cannot pay for their own mammograms. Jane Doe asks herself, "Shall I schedule my mammogram, or buy my family groceries?"

WE say, "Why should any woman have to choose?"

Make an impact on the life of your wife, mom, aunt, cousin, sister or girlfriend. Participate in Komen Central Valley Race for the Cure. There's many ways to assist these women; take the 125 challenge and pay for life-saving mammograms OR when registering for Race, ask friends, family or co-workers to make a donation.

For complete details, visit Komen Central Valley's Race page

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Breast Self Awareness Guidelines

Know your risk
Talk to your family about your family health history
Talk to your doctor about your personal risk of breast cancer

Get screened
Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you if you are at higher risk
Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 if you are at average risk
Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at 20, and every year starting at 40

Know what is normal for you
Know how your breasts look and feel and report changes to your health care provider right away

Make healthy lifestyle choices that may reduce your risk of breast cancer, such as
Maintain a healthy weight
Add exercise into your routine
Limit alcohol intake

Updating this blog & the wonders of social networking

No excuses-this blog has not been updated for nearly a year as we limited social networking to Myspace, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. I held out on opening a Twitter account as I wasn't convinced that "tweeting" could be of benefit, but I soon discovered its advantages. The delivery of a simple one-liner with a link (even utilizing tinyurl.com) lends quite a bang for the buck. I would love to know who comes up with names like "twitter" and "tweet" as I really can't remember either of these words frequently gracing my vocabulary in the past. I can guarantee that "tweet" never described any action of mine. Spammers still abound on Twitter as you notice a new "follower" appeals to those "come take a look at my naughty pictures". No problem, as blocking is an easy feature.
So why update this blog? To include this link in tweets of course.