Share this article and save a life!
Finally, breast cancer screening that doesn’t bankrupt you halfway through.
Here’s what just changed: As of January 2026, if your mammogram shows something suspicious, your follow-up ultrasound, MRI, or biopsy is now FREE under ACA plans.
No copays. No deductibles. No surprise bills.
🎯 Why this matters:
Before this change, women would get their free mammogram, only to face thousands in bills when they needed follow-up imaging. Many simply didn’t go back.
Imagine finding a potential issue, then having to choose between your mortgage payment and the MRI that could save your life.
That’s exactly what was happening to millions of women, especially those with dense breast tissue who routinely need additional screening.
The numbers are staggering:
• 40% of women have dense breast tissue
• Follow-up MRIs can cost $1,000 to $3,000
• Many women delayed or skipped follow-up care due to cost
This HRSA update also covers patient navigation services, connecting women to transportation, translation, and support to actually complete their screenings.
Here’s my take: This isn’t just about coverage, it’s about recognizing that cancer screening is a process, not a single test.
You can’t call something “preventive care” if you only cover half the prevention.
For FQHCs and safety-net providers, this removes a massive barrier. Your patients with commercial insurance now have the same follow-through access as those with comprehensive Medicaid.
For imaging centers, expect volume increases as women who previously declined follow-ups due to cost now complete their screening journeys.
The healthcare system finally acknowledged what we’ve known all along: incomplete screening is failed screening.
This change will save lives, period.
♻️ Repost if complete cancer screening should never require a financial decision
👉 Follow me, Jonathan Govette, for daily, real-time updates on healthcare technology and business news. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangovette/
Share this article and save a life!
Author:
CEO/Co-Founder @ Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Screening | Almost Became a Doctor | Engineer | Follow to Share What I’ve Learned Along the Way
I help patients get the care they need earlier, preventing late-stage cancer.
That’s been the throughline across three companies and almost 20 years in healthcare. At ReferralMD, we fixed broken referral networks so patients didn’t fall through the cracks. At Oatmeal Health, it’s lung cancer: building the diagnostic and screening infrastructure so the 85% of cases caught too late get caught early instead.
Today as CEO of Oatmeal Health, I lead a team embedding AI into radiology workflows to turn routine lung CT scans into reimbursable cancer risk assessments. We partner with FQHCs to reach underserved communities, and with health systems and payers to make early detection economically sustainable. Think HeartFlow or Cleerly, but for lungs.
Between companies, I advised at Techstars and Plug and Play, mentoring founders building in digital health. That experience shaped how I think about what separates companies that ship from companies that stall: distribution, reimbursement, and clinical trust, not just technology.
I’m a CancerX alumnus, a 3x healthcare founder, and someone who believes the biggest problems in cancer aren’t scientific. They’re operational.
We’re hiring mission-driven builders at Oatmeal Health. If you want to work on something that matters, reach out.
When I’m not working, I’m traveling, mentoring, and keeping up with one very energetic husky. 🐾
Substack – The Oatmeal Bite:
Millions of patients get less care because of who they are, where they live, or how they look. I’m fighting to change that. CEO @OatmealHealth, a startup built for the underserved. The Oatmeal Bite: intel for clinicians, investors, and advocates.
Jonathan Govette
CEO of Oatmeal Health
Substack:
https://oatmealhealthjonathangovette.substack.com/
