Martin Kane Kuper
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Martin Kane Kuper
Consultation is Free
1.877.NJLAW4U
(732-214-1800)
Legal and Medical News Blog

NJ Requires Breast Density Status on Mammography Reports

February 11th, 2014 | Author: | Category: health news

New Jersey has just become the fourteenth state to require breast density status to be listed on some mammography reports.  Under the new law, if a woman has abnormally dense breast tissue, she must be notified on the mammogram report, and can have a follow-up ultrasound that is covered by insurance. According to Dr. Lisa Weinstock, a bill supporter who owns Ridgewood breast imaging center Women’s Digital Imaging, a combination of mammograms and ultrasounds can detect cancer earlier.  Cancer tissue can appear “as a blind spot on a mammogram,” she explained – similar in color to surrounding glandular tissue, but appearing in a different color on an ultrasound.  The combined approach can help more women detect breast cancer earlier.  Opponents had argued that the bill mandates what information a doctor must share with a patient, infringing on doctor-patient confidentiality.

The Governor signed the bill into law last week, making New Jersey the fourteenth state to mandate the additional information and screening options.  A similar federal law is currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Read more about the bill and the debate.