The yearly mammogram is such a wonderful thing. Sure, stick my breast in a vice and squeeze. I love the procedure so much I even devised my own yearly calendar--one that boasts 16 months. Trust me, women will make any excuse to avoid the mammogram. So it's no surprise that even the smallest co-payment can be a deterrant.

A recent New England Journal of Medicine study found that relatively small co-payments were associated with significantly lower mammogram rates among women. The research, from Brown University, showed that women who had to fork over that co-pay made the visit 8 percent less than women with full coverage. This gem of a finding is true even if you factor what a woman earns and whatever her educational background.

Now there's a movement to do away with the co-pay, something that would cost insurance companies a lot less in the long run. As for me, my 16-month year is up. So just take the damn ten dollars and get it over with.

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Tags: breast, breast cancer, brown university, copayment, educational background, england journal of medicine, excuse, full coverage, insurance, insurance companies, journal of medicine, mammogram, mammogran, medicine study, new england, new england journal, new england journal of medicine, surprise, wonderful thing, yearly calendar