A non-profit healthcare organization has developed a digital tool to help compare what it says are inconsistent cancer screening policies by major health insurers.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation, based in Washington, D.C., has launched the new search engine and database at PreventCancer.org that allows consumers to compare their health plans coverage of screening tests for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers with other health insurance plans available in their state.

The cancer screening coverage tool was built using data generated by Policy Reporter, a Chicago healthcare data analysis company. The tool, which lets consumers search a database of health insurance coverage information, is needed because health insurance companies are inconsistent in the way they cover cancer tests. For example, all 30 major healthcare carriers studied cover two-dimensional mammography, but only 13 plans cover three-dimensional mammography for breast cancer screening.

Health insurance companies are required to cover screenings recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of health care experts that evaluates the latest scientific evidence on clinical preventive measures, says Prevent Cancer Foundation president Carolyn Aldig.

Recent studies have shown three-dimensional mammograms may be better at picking up invasive tumors and avoiding false alarms than traditional breast cancer screening methods. Researchers also found that 3D mammography, used along with standard digital mammograms, bumped up breast cancer detection rates by more than 40%.

A consumer using the coverage tool first enters her state of residence and then sees a breakdown of which major insurance companies in that state cover various screenings for a specific type of major cancer, such as breast or colon cancer.

In addition to comparing carriers, the Prevent Cancer Foundation search engine and database also contain recommended screening guidelines from groups such as the American Cancer Society and others.