Dear Editor: As you celebrate Mother’s Day with the people you care about this year, why not help start a new tradition? If you are a woman, age 40 or older, make an appointment for a mammogram if you haven’t had one in the past 12 months. Or if you know a woman in that age category, remind her of the importance of getting regular mammograms and breast examinations. According to the National Cancer Institute, after skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States. It is number two on the list of cancer-related deaths in our country. The news is not all so grim, however. Women who get regular screening mammograms have the best chance of early detection of breast cancer. Early detection often provides the greatest number of treatment options. Since 1998, Medicare has expanded its coverage of mammograms and other preventive services. Medicare pays for 80 percent of the cost of a screening mammogram each year for beneficiaries age 40 or older. There is no deductible requirement for this benefit, but women are responsible for the 20 percent co-insurance. Often if a woman has supplemental insurance, such as Medigap policy or Medicaid, there may be no out of pocket costs. If a woman is a member of a managed care plan or HMO, it is likely that the only cost to her would be the plan’s copayment. Many women may wonder if they are at risk for breast cancer. This is something that you should discuss with your doctor or health care provider. However, simply getting older puts women at some risk for the disease. Most breast cancers occur after a woman turns 40 and the risk continues to increase with age. Most women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors. However, certain factors do increase a woman’s risk of developing this disease, such as one or more of the following conditions: • Personal history of a prior breast cancer. • Mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives, such as cousins, with a history of breast cancer (especially if diagnosed at a young age). • A diagnosis of a breast condition or a history of two or more breast biopsies for benign breast cancer. • A specific genetic change that increases susceptibility to breast cancer. Although Medicare and a number of private insurers have increased coverage of mammograms in recent years, not all women are taking advantage of this important health and wellness test. Sadly, even though the risk of a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer increases with age, older women get fewer regular mammograms than younger women do. We want to turn this trend around by making sure that more women get regular mammograms and breast exams. Remember to make this Mother’s Day “a day to remember a mammogram” for yourself or the women in your life. If you would like more information about mammograms and breast cancer you may call the National Cancer Institute hotline at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). You may also call the Medicare Choices Helpline at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to get additional information about all the preventive services Medicare covers. On the internet visit www.nci.nih.gov and www.medicare.gov. Judith Berek, Regional Administrator Health Care Financing Administration New York Regional Office