Changes in Missouri Law Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Screening Rates

THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Changes in Missouri law expanding breast cancer screening coverage have led to increased screening rates among Medicaid patients and an increased likelihood of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) among those undergoing screening, according to a study published online July 22 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Amy K. Patel, M.D., from The Breast Care Center at Liberty Hospital in Missouri, and colleagues examined the effect of Missouri law changes (i.e., expanding mammography coverage to include annual screening from age 40) on overall screening rates and use of DBT in a retrospective study using a national claims database for 2015 to 2022.

Data were included for 1,008,881 unique women (41.4 percent in Missouri). The researchers found that women with Medicaid and commercial insurance had a greater increase in the likelihood of screening mammography after the Missouri law change compared to women with Medicare Advantage whose coverage is based on federal law (odds ratios, 1.45 and 1.05, respectively). The likelihood of DBT was higher for women with Medicaid for both within-Missouri and border-state comparisons (odds ratios, 2.31 and 1.24, respectively). Likewise, a relative increase in likelihood of receiving DBT was seen for commercially insured women.

“This study shows that policy change matters — and can improve access to lifesaving screening,” Patel said in a statement. “In Missouri, where we face some of the nation”s worst disparities in breast cancer outcomes, this legislation is moving the needle in the right direction.”

One author disclosed ties to Hologic, Beekley Medical, Bayer, and SuperSonic Imagine.

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