WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in launching a bipartisan push to help Wyoming veterans access timely and comprehensive breast cancer screenings. This week, Sens. Lummis and Ossoff sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) highlighting the challenges veterans face when seeking mammogram services, which are key medical examinations that help detect early signs of breast cancer.
“We owe a great deal to Wyoming veterans, and I am forever thankful for the sacrifices they have made and continue to make for our country,” said Senator Lummis. “I am proud to join my Senate colleagues in urging the Department of Veteran Affairs to make access to quality mammography services available to all female service members. I am mindful of the unique challenges that veterans in rural areas face, particularly when seeking access to affordable, preventive health care.”
The senators are calling on the VA to devote more resources toward expanding access to mobile mammography units, improving advanced mammography equipment and enhancing outreach services to better publicize mammography services across the state of Wyoming.
According to the National Library of Medicine, female veterans were nearly three times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than the rest of the population. The rural nature of Wyoming creates challenges for veterans trying to access needed services like mammograms and examinations to catch early signs of breast cancer. These services are not always available in-house at many VA medical providers to begin with, causing patients to travel even further for essential care.
Click here to read the full letter.
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