LOVELAND, Ohio — Ali Campbell is a married mother of three battling stage four breast cancer.
Her family loves to play cards, but Campbell knows she hasn't been dealt the easiest hand in life.
"We definitely have our moments, our days," Campbell said describing her fight with the disease. "Cry when you need to, but I just try to get back up."
For the mother of three and her loved ones Campbell's struggle with cancer now has a purpose. They are fighting to get insurers to cover more preventive cancer measures.
"I feel like insurance companies they want to sit here 'Oh well we can't cover this until you're forty,'" said Shelby Arbaugh, Campbell's friend. "We can't cover this until you're between this age and this age; had you covered it sooner you wouldn't be paying for my chemotherapy. Had you done something sooner you wouldn't have to pay for my testing and all of that. "
Watch Campbell's full story and how she wants to help other women in the player below:
Campbell said she never missed her yearly breast cancer screenings. She had no family history of breast cancer but found herself diagnosed at 33 years old. She says she was unsure of her options.
"I've always been told that (mammograms are) not covered; only if you have a family history," Campbell said.
Five years after that initial diagnosis Campbell wants to raise awareness.
She's pushing for lawmakers to require insurers to cover more preventive care beyond mammograms — things like preventive medications and genetic counseling.
These are changes that Ohio State Representative Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) said could potentially be made in an updated version of House Bill 371.
Under HB 371, or the “The Breast Cancer Bill,” which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law on September 2022, insurers are required to provide coverage for a yearly mammogram to all women regardless of age or risk factor. Screenings mandated to be covered can include a type of digital 3D mammography called tomosynthesis, which makes it easier for radiologists to identify cancer in dense breast tissue, MRI, ultrasound or molecular breast imaging. However, the facility must be accredited by the American College of Radiology.
Campbell believes lawmakers can make preventative coverage paid for by insurers more expansive.
"I don't want to go into specifics but a major hospital in our area was not aware," Rep. Schmidt said. "Stay tuned... very, very soon we are meeting to make this an even better bill."
"Advocate for yourself because advocating for yourself advocates for women everywhere," Arbaugh said. "Once one person starts the change it's just a never-ending chain reaction."
