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BATON ROUGE – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana joins other healthcare organizations in reminding women of the importance of being screened for this disease.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, and it’s the second-leading cause of cancer death for women.
Fortunately, breast cancer screening is very effective at catching the disease early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.
“Screening saves lives - but people need to be tested,” said Dr. Vindell Washington, Blue Cross chief medical officer and senior vice president. “It’s important for women to start regular mammograms at the age and frequency their doctors recommend.”
Most women begin having mammograms around age 40, but doctors will recommend them based on an individual woman’s health history and risk factors. Women should talk to their doctors about breast cancer screening and what they should do.
Breast self-awareness is important, too. Women should talk to their doctors if they notice anything unusual or different, such as lumps or changes in the skin around their breasts.
Blue Cross Medical Director Emily Vincent talks about breast cancer screening in this video.
For women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, support is available through Blue Cross Care Management. Visit www.bcbsla.com/Stronger for more information on how to connect with a health coach or sign up for programs and services.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. We invest both time and money in the communities we serve, supporting the health and wellbeing of Louisianians through more than 200 charitable organizations.
With our subsidiaries, HMO Louisiana and Southern National Life, we provide group and individual health insurance plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary products and administrative services to one out of four Louisiana residents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana also provides Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans and is a partner in offering the Healthy Blue Medicaid Managed care plan. Louisiana is the only state where we operate, with offices in every major region to serve our customers.
Founded in New Orleans in 1934, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is a tax-paying non-profit health insurer. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
