Advocates call on North Carolina lawmakers to pass bill to ease financial burden of cancer imaging tests

The words ‘you have cancer’ already come with an emotional toll, not only for a patient, but for their loved ones. Adding on the cost of care only further intensifies the burden a cancer diagnosis takes on a family.

Kara Hume knows the feeling personally.

“I was diagnosed at age 42,” Hume shared. “I was taking a sports bra off one day after a workout – it was on a Monday – and felt a really large mass kind of out of the blue on my right breast.”

Hume immediately went to see her doctor. Her initial mammogram didn’t provide any answers, and she was referred to get an ultrasound. She was subsequently referred to get a breast MRI.

“One of the most tricky parts about my breasts is they are extremely dense which makes mammography less effective, which makes ultrasound a little trickier. That makes MRI the best way to scan,” she said.

A biopsy confirmed she had breast cancer.

That was in 2017. Hume recently marked being cancer-free for five years, but cancer still takes a toll on the single mom of two.

As part of her regular screenings, her doctor recommends she get an annual breast MRI. The exam is expensive and not entirely covered by her insurance.

Hume showed WRAL News bills for her 2023 scans. After insurance chipped in, she was still forced to pay over $1,200 out-of-pocket for just one exam.

“I have two kids, and every year when I set that money aside, I wish I was saving it for college or some other opportunity for them,” she said. “It takes work to not feel burdened by cancer all of the time.”

Hume said the financial burdens frustrate her. In the same breath, she said she felt fortunate to be able to budget to afford the tests, knowing other women can’t afford the care.

Leah Barber, regional manager for state policy and advocacy for the Susan G. Komen Center for Public Policy, said it’s an issue the organization is actively working on.

“Unfortunately we are hearing stories of people having to choose between putting food on the table and going for this testing,” said Barber. “And what happens is they forgo this testing and unfortunately the cancer has spread.”

Advocates are pushing North Carolina lawmakers to pass House Bill 560. It would require insurance to completely cover the cost of many breast cancer exams and cervical cancer screenings if a patient has insurance that includes diagnostic imaging and supplemental exams.

“The bill passed unanimously under the North Carolina House of Representatives,” explained Barber. “After that it has gone over to the senate, where it is in the rules committee.”

Barber said she is hopeful the bill will be taken up during the Spring 2024 short session. If passed, it would mean moms like Hume wouldn’t have to make financial sacrifices to afford preventative care.

Twenty-two states across the country, including neighboring Tennessee and Georgia, have already passed similar legislation, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Bills in four other states are awaiting governors’ signatures.

“Obviously it’s urgent,” expressed Barber. “People are really starting to understand the gravity of the situation and the fact that early detection is the key.”

According to the American Cancer Society, when detected early, breast cancer has a 99% five-year survival rate.