Witkos thanked by radiological society

The Radiological Society of Connecticut has honored state Sen. Kevin Witkos, R-Canton, for his advocacy of patients and legislation that will encourage women to have life-saving breast cancer screenings, according to a press release.

The group gave Witkos their “Patient Hero” award atits semiannual meeting in New Haven on Sept. 13. The award is timely since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Witkos was a strong supporter of House Bill 5208 this past session. The legislation will enable women to have their annual breast exam using the latest technology without having to pay a deductible or co-pay. The technology, called Breast Tomosynthesis, is a three dimensional mammogram, which enables the radiologist to better determine if small cancers are present in the breast. The test has been shown to reduce by 40 percent patient callbacks for an additional test due to the uncertainty of images.

House Bill 5208 resolved a problem in the law that had deemed tomosynthesis to not be a mammogram for insurance reimbursement purposes. This has meant a woman is charged a deductible or co-pay for the test, even though it is preventive in nature and should come at no cost to the patient in her annual screening. Witkos represents the 8th senatorial district and is Deputy Leader in the Senate. The legislation passed both the House and Senate this year and was signed into law by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy as Public Act 18-159. The new policy takes effect January 1, 2019.