Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara (R,C-Westbury) last week introduced a legislative resolution calling upon the United States Congress to enact new legislation addressing Medicare mammography payment discrepancies. The measure would establish Medicare rates for a screening mammography at a level equal to the actual cost of the procedure.

Breast cancer constitutes the second most common cancer affecting women. My mother suffered from the deadly disease. I want to ensure that other women have access to the lifesaving mammography procedures," said Ferrara.

Each year, 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed. Unfortunately, a delay in diagnosis often results in detection of tumors at less treatable stages. A mammogram reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer by 40 percent.

Currently, Medicare reimbursement for a screening mammogram in New York state is $69.23, with the average cost of that procedure in the state at approximately $100. That discrepancy has led to the closure of over 240 mammography clinics in the United States since September 1999. Most private health insurance companies and other government health plans base their reimbursement rates on the Medicare rate. In addition, waiting periods for having a mammogram have increased in over 50 percent of mammography clinics nationwide over the last two years. Women on Long Island often have to wait months before receiving a screening mammogram, despite the fact that women should not have to wait longer than two weeks for the procedure after seeing their physician.

Further complicating the problem, low Medicare reimbursement rates result in fewer new physicians seeking a career in radiology, creating the potential for a shortage of qualified physicians in the field.

"Women do not need to die in such large numbers from breast cancer. I want to do everything in my power to see that every woman who needs a screening mammogram has the opportunity to obtain it in a timely, affordable manner," Ferrara said.