Newsday (NY) (3/2, Ricks) reports New York health insurers “must cover ‘medically necessary’ high-tech 3-D mammograms without copays, coinsurance or deductibles under a new state law.” A spokesperson for Gov. Andrew Cuomo clarified on Thursday that “the new payment rules apply when” a 3-D mammography test “is deemed ‘medically necessary as determined by a physician.’” 

Aunt Minnie (3/1, Yee) reports that research suggests “preoperative breast MRI in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer can help tailor surgical treatment and does not significantly increase the mastectomy rate.” The findings were presented at ECR 2017. 

HealthDay (2/28, Doheny) reports that research indicates diagnostic mammograms “are catching more” breast “tumors – but the percentage of false alarms is up” as well. The study “used information from six registries maintained by the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, which is funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.” HealthDay adds, “The improved cancer detection rate is the important finding here, said” Dr. Debra Monticciolo, chair of the American College of Radiology Commission on Breast Imaging. The findings were published in Radiology.