Cedar Gate Technologies, a value-based performance management company, says that more than 1.3 million women are not getting mammograms when they should, putting many at risk for undetected breast cancer that can grow in severity and spread to other body parts.

Out of nearly 2.4 million women, 55% were unlikely to get a mammogram, according to the company’s predictive AI model, which assigns a probability score on this likelihood and defines the need for mammograms based on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines, which recommend them once every two years for women between 40 and 75.

The data came from Cedar Gate’s proprietary national Health Benchmark Database, which gives payers, self-funded employers, brokers, consultants, and providers access to information on more than 12 million individuals.

This data can help healthcare organizations identify patients and members in their population who are unlikely to get mammograms, and design outreach programs to increase lifesaving screenings,” said David B. Snow Jr., CEO of Cedar Gate, in a statement.

The findings align with prior research, including an assessment released in November 2022 by the Radiology Business Management Association that found that nearly half of women enrolled in or eligible for Medicare did not receive a mammogram in the last three years. The organization said the lack of screenings was driven by cuts to Medicare, a concern among 80% of survey respondents from its Radiology Patient Action Network.

According to researchers at Orlando Health, in Florida, which conducted their own study, more than one-fifth of women between 35 and 44 said they had never had a mammogram and had no plans of getting one. Additionally, they said only 43% knew their family history of the disease, and 32%, their own individual risk factors,

The Cedar Gate study found that, on average, commercially insured patients in its database with breast cancer were diagnosed at 58, five years less than the median age for diagnosis at 63 for all populations, including Medicare.

It did, however, say that access to genetic testing has improved among people at higher-than-average risk and those recommended to undergo one by a doctor, with the number of women diagnosed with estrogen- and progesterone-receptor-positive cancers rising from 11% In July 2021 to 15% in June 2022.

“In value-based care models, where wellness, prevention, and early interventions are at the center of care, leveraging data like this from our Healthcare Benchmark Database helps payers, providers, and employers take actions that support access and encourage health in their populations,” said Snow.

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