The current medical and insurance guidelines for breast cancer screenings in Michigan are dangerously outdated, leaving women between the ages of 21 and 40 vulnerable to late stage diagnoses. While federal guidelines recently lowered the screening age to 40, 2026 clinical data shows a staggering 2% annual increase in aggressive early onset breast cancer among much younger women.

Currently, Michigan’s proposed House Bill 5205 only expands coverage for women starting at age 35, completely ignoring the thousands of women in their 20s who are at risk. Without mandated coverage for mammograms or diagnostic imaging starting at age 21, especially when a palpable lump is present, young women in Michigan are being denied life saving care due to insurance restrictions and age based medical bias.

We are calling on the Michigan legislature for immediate action. Our laws must catch up to the science. Age should never be a barrier to survival.