RICHMOND, Va. — At the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation's (VBCF) annual luncheon in October, the non-profit announced the expansion of its diagnostic and screening fund for Richmond and Petersburg.
”It helps for better outcomes and helps save lives,” Kirsta Millar with VBCF said.
Millar said the fund will help bring women back for their follow-up appointments.
“Some people just delay or say they can't do that right now or they just don't come back at all and as we know early detection with breast cancer is the most important thing,” Millar said.
Annual mammogram screenings are usually covered by insurance, but if doctors need patients to come back for more tests, they often must pay out of pocket.
Those additional tests include an ultrasound, diagnostic screening, or an MRI.
“You can qualify to get these services,” Millar said.
The fund is aimed at uninsured or underinsured people who earn up to 400% of the federal poverty level which is about $60,000 for an individual and about $124,000 for a family of four.
In 2022, the VBCF diagnostic fund started in Southwest Virginia.
It's an area with one of the highest diagnoses of breast cancer.
With the fund, 1700 services were provided for more than 700 women. Thirteen of them were diagnosed with breast cancer.
“They were able to move on to their treatment very quickly,” Millar said.
Dr. Priti Shah, head of breast imaging at VCU Health, has seen firsthand the number of patients who may not come back.
“There are national studies that show up to 21% of women will skip additional breast imaging if they have an out-of-pocket cost. These numbers are not just statistics. They’re just not data points. They're representing the lived experiences of everyday people.” Shah, who serves on the board of the VBCF, said.
The local non-profit has partnered with VCU Health to provide the extra services.
Money from donors helps fund it.
“Those tests can range from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars. That’s just the work-up. If a patient needs a biopsy or an MRI, those will be additional costs,” Shah said.
The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation is a statewide organization that started in 1991 when five women met at a breast cancer support group at MCV. The group's mission is research, advocacy, and education. The group often lobbies on the state and national level.
In the works now is a bill in the General Assembly to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for follow-up diagnostic services.
“The cancer is always there. It's not going anywhere, so if we can diagnose it early, we have the best opportunity for survival,” Shah said.
Shah has already referred a patient to the fund. If you need help paying for additional services, call 804-237-6622 to see if you qualify for the diagnostic fund.
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