Going back on its previous guidance, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) said Tuesday that women should begin breast cancer screenings at 40. 

It’s already recommended that women at risk should get screenings every other year up until the age of 74. But the task force had previously said that those should start at age 50. With this new announcement, women and those assigned female at birth 10 years younger will be covered by law under insurance for bi-annual testing. 

Task Force Chair Wanda Nicholson said that more women in their 40s have been getting diagnosed with breast cancer, increasing at a rate of about 2% each year. 

“By starting to screen all women at age 40, we can save nearly 20% more lives from breast cancer overall,” Nicholson said in a statement. “This new approach has even greater potential benefit for Black women, who are much more likely to die of breast cancer.”

Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer, which is why earlier screening is so important. The USPSTF previously said that women could begin earlier screenings if they wanted to based on their health history. However, many said that led to confusion for both doctors and patients. 

“We need to know how best to address the health disparities related to breast cancer so all women can live
longer and healthier lives,” said Task Force Vice Chair John Wong. “Clinicians must help reduce any barriers
to patients getting the recommended screening, timely, equitable and appropriate follow-up and effective
treatment of breast cancer.”

The American Cancer Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network have all said that women should begin screening in their 40s. 

Insurers, for their part, are required to fully cover mammograms for women over 40, but this recommendation cements that beyond 2025, when the Affordable Care Act extension is set to expire.