In its September bulletin, UnitedHealthcare communicated to their providers that “the medical policy on breast imaging for screening and diagnosing cancer under which computer-aided detection with mammographies [falls] would not be covered,” according to a UnitedHealthcare spokeswoman. The payor has since recanted that statement and decided “to postpone the implementation of this policy until further notice,” the spokeswomen added.

UnitedHealthcare serves more than 26 million individual consumers, provides access to more than 535,000 physicians and healthcare care professionals and is partnered with more than 4,700 hospitals.

According the American Cancer Society, early in the disease, most breast cancers do not show symptoms. However, when breast cancer is detected at a localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. “In particular, recent evidence has confirmed that mammograms offer substantial benefit for women in their 40s,” according the association’s website.