Uninsured women are about half as likely to get a mammogram as women overall. For the rest of October, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is trying to close that gap — by picking up the tab.
The Paramus hospital is covering the full cost of mammography for uninsured patients and paying the difference for underinsured patients through the end of the month. It’s the fifth year of the hospital’s “October is on Us” campaign, which marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Bergen New Bridge CEO Deb Visconi said the program goes to the heart of what the hospital does.
“It is no secret early detection can save lives, especially when it comes to a breast cancer diagnosis,” she said. “Our mission as a safety net hospital is to make sure all those we serve, especially the most vulnerable from underserved communities, have access to essential preventative care like mammography.”
The numbers back her up.
Breast cancer caught at the localized stage has a five-year relative survival rate of more than 99%, according to the American Cancer Society. Once it spreads regionally, that rate drops to 87%. When it reaches distant parts of the body, it falls to 32%.
The American Cancer Society estimates 9,510 New Jersey women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and 1,160 will die from it.
Screening is where the gap shows.
In 2022, 76.5% of women ages 50 to 74 nationwide had a mammogram in the previous two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among uninsured women, it was 37.4%.
The CDC found cost was the barrier most strongly tied to women skipping the screening. Income matters, too: 63.1% of women earning less than $15,000 a year were screened, compared with 82.6% of those earning $75,000 or more.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammograms every other year for women ages 40 to 74. It lowered the starting age from 50 in 2024.
Bergen New Bridge offers 3D digital mammography, which the hospital says provides more accurate detection, earlier diagnosis and a more comfortable experience. It also offers breast ultrasounds and minimally invasive biopsies.
The hospital asks patients to have their doctor place an order for the exam before arriving and to bring prior imaging from outside providers, preferably on disc. Patients should arrive 30 minutes early and skip powders and deodorant, which can interfere with the images.
Bergen New Bridge, a clinical affiliate of Rutgers, is the largest hospital in New Jersey, with 1,070 beds, and the fourth-largest publicly owned hospital in the nation, according to the hospital.
For uninsured women, the most important number may be the simplest one: Through Oct. 31, the screening costs nothing.
For information about Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, go to newbridgehealth.org.
