CLEVELAND — MetroHealth Medical Center’s Dr. Christina Clemow is an expert in breast health, and said when it comes to health outcomes, early detection is one of the most important factors.
“Our goal is to find it early so that women have more treatment options and a better chance of a cure. So the most important thing is screening mammogram,” Clemow said.
Clemow said many health insurance companies cover yearly mammograms in most cases, but secondary screenings and other vital screenings aren’t always covered, leaving many of Clemow’s patients with high out-of-pocket costs.
“Patients come in and we tell them they have dense breast [tissue] and they say I don’t want to have the additional secondary screening ultrasound because they’re afraid of out-of-pocket expenses,” Clemow said.
Last year, she and her colleagues successfully advocated for a law that requires most insurers to cover one screening mammogram a year, regardless of age or risk factors.
“Sometimes we have trouble with women that are high risk because they are. I’ve already had breast cancer, and a lot of times we have trouble getting coverage for their MRI for that, so now we’re hoping to break down some of those barriers,” she said.
The law also requires most insurers to cover supplemental screening exams for those patients with dense breasts or at an increased risk of breast cancer because of personal or family history or other reasons determined by their health care provider. The Breast Cancer Bill, approved by both chambers of the Ohio legislature in the past year, was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday, June 24, and goes into effect after 90 days.
Clemow said stepping outside of the office and exam room to testify in front of lawmakers to advocate for the health care of all Ohio women means her patients have a better chance at living long, fulfilled lives.
“Knowing that I’m helping the moms spend more time with their little kids is super important and saving the grandmas and the wives and the sisters and the friends and our gentlemen that get breast cancer as well, which is was very rare, but it happens. I chose this so that I can be helpful,” she said.
