Expert panel drops age recommendation for breast cancer screenings

Experts now recommend breast cancer screenings at age 40.

What you probably already know: A panel of experts Tuesday recommended people begin breast cancer mammogram screenings at age 40 and do them every other year, reversing a decision the same group made to increase the age to 50 in 2009.

Why? Breast cancer rates are on the rise, which has physicians pushing screenings earlier. Previous recommendations from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force suggested that earlier screenings were causing anxiety and resulting in more unnecessary diagnostic procedures, which were doing more harm than good for younger people.

What it means: The panel stopped short of recommending ultrasounds and other diagnostic tools for people who are higher risk. This means insurance companies will not have to cover these kinds of tests.

What happens now? Later this year, all mammography centers will be required to inform patients if their breast tissue is too dense for a traditional test. However, insurers may not cover the scans necessary to detect cancer in those patients. Medicare, for example, does not cover those tests.