I write this article in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month. Most of us know someone within our close social circle who has been through this terrible ordeal. This is not surprising, as the National Cancer Institute estimates that there were about 2.4 million women breast cancer survivors in 2004, with a 3.5% increase annually in the incidence of breast cancer. Unfortunately, this means more deaths in 2008 and 2009, unless women respond to the pleas for regular screening so that the disease may be detected early. Read more →

Mammograms are recommended for all women over the age of 45 as a breast cancer screening tool. Some insurance and Medicare plans provide full coverage for these tests because they are deemed necessary and beneficial. Other plans apply co-pays to mammograms, and other similar medical interventions, despite the prevalent medical opinion that they are both necessary and beneficial to the health of the patient. Read more →