The good news: The breast density bill has left the assembly insurance committee. The bad news: it's moved to the health committee instead of the assembly floor. The good news: the health committee is chaired by Dick Gottfried, a Manhattan Democrat generally committed to progressive causes. The really bad news: rumor is that Gottfried is completely cold to the bill. I haven't confirmed this yet. Would he really be willing to throw women under the bus?

Some cold hard stats:

• In the US, 40,000 to 45,000 women's breast cancers are missed on mammograms every year primarily due to breast density (American Cancer Society).
• 10,000 women a year die die of cancers that were missed on mammograms (because of breast density) back when the cancers would still have been treatable. That's one quarter of breast cancer deaths every year that could be prevented with better screening protocols. (Institute for Health Quality and Ethics)
• In Connecticut, the rate of detection has doubled for women with dense breasts who receive ultrasound screening. 

This bill is a no-brainer. Unfortunately a lot of brains (powered by $) are devoted to killing the bill. As documented in Sunday's post, some of them are completely heartless and self-absorbed, bragging about getting a lot of face time with assembly members in between yuks at the Capitol Deli.

Gottfried's district (75th) covers Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Murray Hill, Midtown and part of the Lincoln Center area in Manhattan. If you live in his district or know anyone who does (find out here), please call him/tell them to call him immediately at 212-807-7900, tell him you are a constituent and to get Bill S6769/A9586 out of his committee and up for a vote this session. Many women's lives depend on it!