When we think of October, we often think of the bright red, orange, and yellow leaves that set the hills and mountains of Maine on fire. However, October is also known for another color: pink. Pink is the color that breast cancer survivors – as well as their friends and families — use to spread awareness about this potentially life-threatening diagnosis. In fact, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. As the Senate Chair for the Maine State Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, I am committed to helping Mainers who are coping with breast cancer. That’s why I am proud that my colleagues and I worked on and passed LD 1836, “An Act Regarding Insurance Coverage for Diagnostic and Supplemental Breast Examinations.”

Before I get into the details of the new law, let’s start with the basics. What is breast cancer? Breast cancer is a group of cancer cells that starts in the breast. It can invade the surrounding tissue or spread to other areas of the body. Breast cancer occurs when malignant tumors develop in the breast. Although there are no exact causes of breast cancer, there are some risk factors, including alcohol consumption and having a family history of breast cancer. To be clear, a risk factor does not guarantee that a person will get breast cancer. Regardless of the risk factors, everyone should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Monthly self-exams can help people notices changes in their breasts, including nipple tenderness, a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area, a change in skin texture, an enlargement of pores in the skin of the breast, or a lump in the breast. Not all lumps are cancerous, but they should be investigated. Early detection of breast cancer is key.

That’s why LD 1836 is important. This bill — now law — will help Mainers access and afford diagnostic breast exams and supplemental breast exams, both of which are critical for breast cancer screening and prevention. Mammograms can help health care providers detect cancer early, which saves lives and reduces the need for more invasive and expensive treatments for the more advanced stages of cancer. If mammograms are vital for detecting breast cancer (and they are!), then we need to ensure that people can afford the exams. LD 1836 prevents state-regulated individual and group health insurance policies from imposing any costs on the patient for a medically necessary diagnostic breast exam or supplemental breast exam, beginning January 1, 2024. Indeed, breast exams, or mammograms, are medically necessary because some women have dense breast tissue that makes it difficult for the person or the doctor to detect breast cancer. Again, early detection is key, and missed detection rapidly reduces a person’s survival rate. Cost should never discourage a person from getting a mammogram.

This October, I hope that you will join me in raising awareness for breast cancer and adopting the healthy habits that can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. These habits include eating fruits and vegetables, staying physically active, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, and scheduling routine health screenings – especially mammograms. Many of us have been affected by breast cancer, whether we’ve lost a friend or a loved one to the disease or we know someone who has. Let’s do what we can to ensure that our daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers live long, healthy, and whole lives.