The Iowa Foundation for Medical Care is urging adult Iowans to get their moms something besides flowers or candy for Mother’s Day. For Iowans whose mothers are at least 65, Foundation senior director Mike Speight suggests the thoughtful gift of offering to pay the out-of-pocket costs for a mammogram.Mother’s Day is May 13th. Speight says it’s as easy as putting a note in a card saying you’ll take care of the bill. He says it’s not going to set you back much money as the Medicare co-payment is usually 15 to 35-dollars. A recent study found only 38-percent of Medicare-aged Iowa women get annual mammograms. He the best way to treat breast cancer is to identify it early. He says women over 40 should have breast cancer screenings every 12 to 24 months. The risk of getting breast cancer increases with age. About 75-percent of the cancers found are in women 50 and older.
