TULSA, Okla. — A new law is providing better access to breast cancer screenings for Oklahomans.
“I think it’ll allow us to catch things sooner,” said Keri Stankavich.
Keri Stankavich manages all seven of St. Francis’ breast imaging locations. With 3,460 new breast cancer cases in Oklahoma in 2025 and 570 deaths this year from the disease, she says the new law will help make sure people are getting the supplemental testing they need.
“We’re so excited that there’s less boundaries that people have to face when deciding whether they’re going to do these exams or not,” said Stankavich.
“That barrier, that sometimes hundreds to thousands of dollars out of pocket, was a barrier to many individuals, especially in today’s times,” said Rebecca Birch. “So, I think this will ensure individuals will continue their screenings and we get to that early detection.”
Rebecca Birch, Director of State Policy and Advocacy for Susan G. Komen, says the law requires state-regulated insurance to cover imaging, with no deductible or co-pay, such as contrast-enhanced mammograms or molecular breast imaging, to help diagnose breast cancer.
Birch says it’ll cover those at higher risk, like people with a family history of breast cancer or heterogeneously or extremely dense breasts.
“We think of early detection as mammography because that’s what’s been taught to us, but early detection is different for everybody, and we need to make sure that everybody has access to that,” said Birch.
Back at the imaging centers, Stankavich says they’re seeing more recommendations for enhanced screenings.
“Everybody is a little different, but it’s routinely being stated on the reports now,” said Stankavich.
The experts say the testing helps with early detection, which makes all the difference for treatment.
“It’s a lot easier to take care of when we find it earlier,” said Stankavich.
If you need more information about breast cancer or resources in our community, you can click here or call the Susan G. Komen helpline at 1-877-465-6636.
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