WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and 50 bipartisan Members of Congress sent a letter to the Honorable Thomas McCaffery, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs urging the Military Health System (MHS) to address the disparity in breast cancer screening coverage that is putting the lives of our nation’s servicemembers, military family members, and veterans at risk.

Currently, the only screening options covered by TRICARE are conventional mammography, yet hundreds of published studies clearly demonstrate that Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), now the standard of care, is superior in clinical performance for both the detection of breast cancer and a reduction in recall rates for all women, including those with dense breast tissue.

Rep. Houlahan and the 50 bipartisan Members of Congress are calling on the MHS to add DBT coverage for TRICARE beneficiaries.

“As medicine advances, so too must the coverage for our servicewomen, women veterans, and military spouses” said Houlahan, Chair & Founder of the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Congressional Caucus. “TRICARE should provide the women who are currently or have previously served this country and their families access to life-saving 3D mammography. DBT offers many women with dense breast tissue the best shot at detecting, and ultimately preventing the spread of this deadly cancer. Our American servicewomen, veterans, and families of said women deserve nothing less.”

“Our female servicemembers and veterans serve our country valiantly and make sacrifices,” said Congresswoman Elaine Luria, Vice Chair of the Servicewomen & Women Veterans Congressional Caucus. “They deserve access to quality health care that covers their unique medical needs. As a 20-year Navy veteran, I urge TRICARE to prioritize these needs by immediately including lifesaving DBT mammography coverage.”

“Early detection is the best way to save lives and lower costs for women who develop breast cancer,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, Vice Chair of the Servicewomen & Women Veterans Congressional Caucus. “Denying TRICARE coverage for state-of-the-art mammograms, or forcing women service members and their families to pick up the cost out-of-pocket, is unacceptable. The Military Health System must rectify this issue and add Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) to their coverage.”

“Breast cancer screening and preventative measures are the best way to fight this terrible disease,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23). “It is imperative that women have all the most up-to-date, comprehensive, accurate tools available to them when it comes to healthcare, and access to DBT will dramatically impact the lives of our servicemembers and their families.”

“I’m proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to request that DoD addresses the disparity in breast cancer screening coverage for our military families,” said Rep. Cisneros. “It’s unacceptable that TRICARE does not provide coverage for the newest screening methods that have higher rates of success for finding evidence of cancer, at minimal cost. As a Navy veteran, I understand how important this healthcare coverage is for our servicemembers and their families and it is our hope that once this discrepancy is resolved, it will save lives.”

“It is crucial that all women with dense breast tissue, including those covered by TRICARE, can access the screening they need to mitigate their risk when screening for cancer,” said Patrick Hope, Executive Director of MITA. “MITA is proud to support this effort and applauds these lawmakers who are standing up for expanded access to this advanced, life-saving screening technology.”

“Protect Our Defenders applauds Rep. Houlahan for leading the effort to bring TRICARE into the 21st century when it comes to women’s healthcare,” said Don Christensen, President of Protect Our Defenders. “Including better screening methods such as DBT in its coverage means that female servicemembers can better protect themselves and their futures.”

The Members who signed onto this letter are Houlahan, Luria, Gabbard, Sherrill, Bustos, Speier, Barragán, Rose, Lieu, Cisneros, Dingell, Moulton, Crow, Waltz, Spanberger, Harder, Roby, Trahan, Slotkin, Brownley, Fitzpatrick, Torres Small, Gallego, Kilmer, S. Lee, Wexton, Haaland, Pappas, Schrier, Craig, Cunningham, Doyle, Courtney, Scanlon, Golden, Hill, Cohen, Wasserman Schultz, Axne, Dean, Wild, Phillips, Stefanik, Kim, Brown, Cartwright, Cooper, Cook, Bacon, Panetta, and Taylor.

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She’s in her first term representing Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Small Business Committee.

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