NEW YORK, NY – EmblemHealth one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurers, and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the country's most prominent teachers' union, announced the launch of a new breast cancer screening program through AdvantageCare Physicians and RadNet for UFT members.
"Building off of the momentum of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s imperative that we have year-round awareness and vigilance of the importance of regular screenings,” said Karen Ignagni President and CEO of EmblemHealth. "We know that Breast Cancer is the third leading cause of death among women, and we need to do everything possible to increase early detection for our city's public-school educators.”
In continuing their tradition of providing high-quality health care for women, EmblemHealth, and the UFT’s new program offers a state-of-the-art 3-D screening service. This program aims to set a baseline for members without a mammogram to be shared with their primary care provider. These mammograms provide a significantly improved resolution that helps the radiologist better detect breast cancer. In addition, RadNet uses artificial intelligence, which research suggests may enable the identification of breast cancer one to two years earlier than traditional imaging.
"Protecting our members’ health is one of our principal goals, and we are pleased to announce this new advancement designed to detect cancer at an early stage," said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers.
Mammograms can be scheduled with no referral necessary and are provided as an annual mammogram screening. UFT members covered by EmblemHealth do not have out-of-pocket costs when an EmblemHealth network provider delivers these services.
Annual mammogram screenings are recommended to start for women at age 50. If there are other risk factors such as family history, women should speak with their doctor to start the detection process at younger age.
For more information or to schedule a mammogram today call RadNet at 800-621-4844.
This program builds upon past partnerships between EmblemHealth and the UFT. In April, the organizations collaborated to help vaccinate over 35,000 UFT members against COVID-19.
