Women's Health
Breast Care
Mammogram Testing
| If You Are Medicare Eligible... |
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 expanded the Medicare
coverage of screening mammograms from once every other year
to once a year. Medicare pays 80 percent of the approved
amount for a screening mammogram and the patient pays the
remaining 20 percent.
More
information |
Mammography is a safe and noninvasive x-ray technique. It's
the most widely used method available today for detecting breast
cancer while it's still curable.
The Test
A mammogram produces an image of breast tissue to help determine
if the tissue is normal or if you need further testing
or treatment. There are two reasons for doing a mammogram:
The
exam is performed by a technologist who has had special training
in the use of this equipment. A screening mammogram on the traditional
film machine takes less than
20 minutes. A diagnostic mammogram may take a bit longer. A mammogram
performed with the Hologic Digital Mammography system takes approximately
10 minutes.
Mammography is a safe examination that uses low dose radiation–an
amount that's less than your exposure when living at high altitude
or during a six-hour plane ride. The compression of your
breasts during the test will not harm
them
in any way. As with any medical procedure, be sure to tell your
doctor if you're pregnant.
The image is examined by expert radiologists who look for
changes or inconsistencies in the breast tissue. Different facilities
have
different policies on providing results. Some will provide results
while you wait. Others report the findings to your primary care
physician or gynecologist, who will then discuss them with you.
If your mammography service provider doesn't provide while-you-wait
results, ask them when you should follow up. If your results show
abnormal tissue, remember–abnormal is not equal
to cancer.
