MRI insurance approval

kkr

Sorry for the cross-posting (I posted the same on DCIS forum). This is my 1st time to post. I'm a 1-yr survivor of DCIS, who have been through lumpectomy, radiation & Tamoxifen.

I'm interested in having an annual MRI for precautions, along with semiannual mammogram. I don't trust mammo much since it didn't pick up DCIS. The MRI request by my radiation oncologist to my insurance company was turned down recently.

I'd like to know your successful experiences with this. If you succeeded to get an approval of MRI from your insurance company, how did you do it? What kind of reason is convincing enough? I'd appreciate your input.

KR

lopsided_blogger

Hi,

My two IDC tumors and extensive DCIS weren't shown by a mammo either. I'm younger and like a lot of younger (premenopausal) women have dense breasts. Mammos don't do a good job with us. To get a yearly MRI after my mammo (insurance makes me do the one first before the other), I sent in a copy of the mammo report that showed nothing, though it was really cancer, cancer, cancer. I'm sure I also asked the dr appealing this for me to make that point--Look, a mammo showed nothing but the breast was riddled with cancer. How can that test alone ever be trusted again? I'm sure he said it more technical, but I hope/think that was the gist. Anyway, once I got the first MRI approved, I've not had trouble with yearly MRIs since. Good luck! 

kkr

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I'll keep trying.

KR