Despite remarkable progress in the fight against breast cancer over the past four decades, the disease continues to take a devastating toll.  This year alone, Susan G. Komen estimates more than 300,000 women and men in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and over 43,000 women and men will lose their lives to it.

While early detection is proven to save lives and lower the cost of treatment, many patients face financial barriers that keep them from accessing the diagnostic and supplemental imaging they need. Under the Affordable Care Act, payers were required to provide no-copay coverage for screening mammography. But about 10% of breast screening exams require follow-up tests such as MRI or ultrasound, which often are not covered and create a financial burden on patients. Additionally, out-of-pocket costs are particularly burdensome for individuals at high-risk for developing breast cancer, including those previously diagnosed with breast cancer, as diagnostic and supplemental tests are recommended rather than traditional screening.

Central to this conversation is the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act, which seeks to eliminate cost-sharing for diagnostic breast imaging and ensure patients can follow up on abnormal results without the fear of financial hardship. The bill was introduced earlier this year but is still very much at the procedural starting line. Just as with breast cancer screening, timing is everything.  

What’s next for the ABCD Act? What are the biggest gaps in access to early detection? How can Congress address the financial barriers that stand in the way of timely breast imaging? How should women, families, and communities better advocate for the care they need? And is a path toward affordable, equitable access to breast cancer screening within reach?  

Join The Hill as we convene lawmakers, clinicians, patients, and their advocates to answer all of these questions and more.