On December 14, 2015, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) urged its supporters to reach out to Cigna Insurance, who recently announced their decision to cease coverage of 3-D mammograms after February 15, 2016. 3-D mammography, also known as tomosynthesis, is a new technology that allows for visualization of the entire breast in multiple thin sections. It provides far greater resolution than conventional 2-D mammography.
Dr. Michael Misialek, Associate Chair of Pathology at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Clinical Assistant Professor of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine, and Medical Adviser for Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, has taken a lead in trying to reverse Cigna’s decision.
In December 2015, Dr. Misialek, along with Dr. Daniel Kopans, a senior radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, interviewed with Channel 5 regarding Cigna’s recent news. To view this Channel 5 interview, please click here.
Dr. Misialek contacted Cigna Insurance to request a reversal of their decision. You may find the chain of communication between Dr. Misialek and Cigna Insurance on MBCC’s blog here.
Cheryl Osimo, MBCC Executive Director, requested a meeting with Cigna’s president and CEO, David Cordani, to discuss the topic further either on the phone or in-person. Pamela Durand of the Executive Office Advocacy Team at Cigna declined.
“Since Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition’s inception in 1991, we have been working on mammography issues. As former MBCC President Ann Maguire stated in MBCC’s first newsletter from 1993, we need to move more people–men and women–to action in the fight against breast cancer. MBCC is still committed to advocating for men and women to continue receiving the best mammography care possible while simultaneously striving towards the goal of breast cancer prevention, a goal which has been ongoing since 1991,” says Osimo.
MBCC is asking you to join us in contacting Cigna to reconsider their decision in ceasing support of 3-D mammography testing after February 15, 2016. Cigna Insurance can be contacted via email at satisfaction2@cigna.com, via mail at 900 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002, or via phone at the Executive Office for Complaints at 1-800-446-6633, press 2.